Subhasish Chaudhuri of The Telegraph spoke to three persons who survived the tank collapse accident at Burdwan railway station on Wednesday. Of the three survivors, two were trapped under the broken tank and had to be pulled out by rescue workers. The two are undergoing treatment at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital.

Sonelal, 42

Resident of Patna, Bihar

I am a construction worker. I arrived at Burdwan station from Patna earlier this morning and was waiting to board a Durgapur-bound train to join a project there. I asked some hawkers about Durgapur-bound trains and they advised me to wait at platform 2.

I was waiting there under the shed where the crowd was quite thin as water was continuously leaking from the nearby overhead water tank. To avoid getting wet, I positioned myself at a distance under the tin shed and was having food.

A few minutes later, a deafening sound hit us and water began flooding the space where we stood with great force. Before I could realise what had happened, I found myself trapped under the debris of the shed on which the tank crashed. As I lay trapped, I heard some people shouting — “Pani ki tank girh gaya (water tank has collapsed)” — for help. I felt heavy pain in my right hand and fell unconscious.

I cannot recall anything after that. Later, when I regained consciousness, I found myself admitted to the Burdwan Medical College Hospital.

Prabir Chawra, 49

Resident of Raipur in Chhattisgarh

After arriving from Raipur earlier in the day, I, along with my family members, was set to head for Durgapur to visit a relative’s house. We were waiting on platform 2 to take a train to Durgapur.

One of the injured passengers Prabir Chawra at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday. Picture by Munshi Muklesur Rahaman

But we didn’t have little idea that the tank could collapse within a few minutes. I suddenly heard a deafening sound and realised something had fallen on my head. At the same time, a heavy blow of water separated me from other members of my family. I soon found myself trapped under the shed and felt a heavy pain in my head. I was bleeding profusely and do not remember anything after that.

Later, I found myself lying on a bed at Burdwan Medical College Hospital. Doctors said I suffered head injuries and the wounds have been stitched.

Asutosh Chakraborty, 65

Resident of Belgharia, Calcutta

My wife Rama and I were going on a trip to East Burdwan’s Chandni Jaltungi. We reached Burdwan station around 12 noon from my Belgharia home and began waiting at platform 2 to take the Kaviguru Express to reach Guskara. There were a few passengers on the platform. I was looking for a washroom.

Around 12.15pm and moments after crossing the shed, I heard a huge sound and looked back to find that a part of the tank had collapsed. The portion of the tank fell on the shed, which collapsed under its impact and trapped several passengers who were there in the waiting area.

There was a sudden surge of water that washed away luggages of passengers onto the railway line and elsewhere. I saw some hawkers and RPF personnel rush in to evacuate the trapped passengers. We had a close shave and thanked the Almighty for being alive.