Live TV interview helps Nepali couple reunite with son injured in Odisha train crash

PTI

Cuttack (Odisha), June 7

A live television interview of a Nepali couple aired from one hospital helped it find out its minor son who was injured in the June 2 Odisha train accident and under treatment in another hospital.

The 15-year-old boy, Ramananda Paswan, who was recuperating in the ICU of a hospital here, saw his parents on a news channel on a television set which was in the room and alerted the authorities.

The hospital then facilitated the reunion of the boy, who was travelling in the ill-fated Coromandel Express, with his parents who came from Nepal in search of him after knowing about the accident that claimed 288 lives, an official said.

 “I am happy to find my son. He was travelling with three of our relatives. All of them were killed in the accident. He, however, miraculously escaped with injuries,” said the boy’s father Hari Paswan.

After coming to Bhubaneswar, Hari and his wife were visiting one hospital after another in search of their son.

While in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, they came across a journalist of a local TV news channel who reported their ordeal.

Ramananda saw the report on the television in his room and identified his parents. He informed the hospital authorities about it.

“The hospital called up the TV channel’s office, got the videos and got it checked again with Ramananda to confirm about his parents. Following this, the hospital authorities were successful in connecting Ramanada with his parents,” SCB Medical College Emergency Officer Dr BN Moharana told PTI.

The Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train, derailing most of its coaches at 7 pm on June 2. A few of those toppled over the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express which was passing by at the same time.

In all, 288 people died in the accident and more than 1,200 were injured.