A young mason, who fractured both his arms in the train tragedy in Odisha's Balasore and fortuitously escaped death, still does not know when, or whether at all, he can resume work.
Ibrahim Sk, 32, a passenger of the Coromandel Express that was involved in the triple train crash on June 2, returned to his village in Kakdwip block of South 24-Parganas recently, but is unable to use his arms. He had suffered multiple fractures.
The train crash near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore had left 292 dead and over 1,000 injured.
An inquiry has pointed out that lapses in the signalling system caused the accident.
“I have heard that several people from our area who were travelling with me are no more. I am lucky to be alive, but I don’t know how I will run my family," Ibrahim told The Telegraph over the phone from his home at Madhusudanpur village in Kakdwip on Tuesday.
“I am a mason by profession. I don’t think I will be able to work at construction sites again. One needs to handle heavy items. I don’t have any strength in my hands to do that,” he said.
His wife Sabina Bibi said she would not allow him to go to other states for work again because of the mental trauma she suffered.
Ibrahim now has both his arms supported by slings and cannot do any work by himself. He visits a hospital in Kakdwip for check-ups.
After the accident, Ibrahim’s family members had seen him lying beside the railway tracks in television news. He was rescued by the NGO Jagannath Seva Foundation and admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. He was under treatment at the hospital for 17 days.
Apart from his wife, Ibrahim has three daughters to feed. He has received Rs 2 lakh in compensation from the Odisha government and another Rs 1.1 lakh from the Bengal government.
“Doctors have said I won’t be able to do any work for at least six months. Much of the money (he got as compensation) will be spent on running the household,” he said.
“I will be looking for a light job.... I am hoping the state government will offer me some job on humanitarian grounds,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim and several others from the area were on their way to Chennai to work at construction sites when the accident happened.
Recounting the crash, he said: "I was thrown off my seat in the unreserved compartment and then I passed out. Doctors said I regained my senses in the hospital after two days."
Some of his fellow travellers are still missing.
Sabina Bibi said her husband has not been able to sleep properly at night since the accident because of the injured arms. “My husband is in pain. I have to assist him in his daily activities,” she said.
Sabina said she would not let her husband go to other states for work again. “He had been to Delhi and Kerala several times for work. I will no longer allow him to go. After the accident, I could not sleep for several nights,” she said.
Hundreds of people from Bengal go to other states, including Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, to work at construction sites.