Railways Rushes Aid, Extra Coaches for Passengers Returning From Flood-Hit Nepal
Indian Railways arranged extra coaches, food, and medical aid for passengers returning from flood-hit Nepal via Patna, as the death toll crossed 650.
As devastating floods in Nepal continue to claim lives and displace thousands, Indian Railways has stepped in to assist citizens returning home. Special arrangements have been made at Patna Junction to ensure passengers arriving from Nepal can continue their onward journeys without hardship.
According to East Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Saraswati Chandra, 106 passengers who returned from Nepal were accommodated on the Patna-Purna Express (train number 17609) heading towards Maharashtra. Two additional Third AC coaches were attached to the train at Patna to manage the increased passenger load.
Beyond seating, the railway administration arranged for food, water, tea, and medical assistance during the journey. An additional ticket counter was opened overnight at Patna Junction to ease the process of purchasing tickets for those arriving at odd hours.
Officials from the Commercial department, Railway Protection Force (RPF), and the Medical department of the Danapur Division were stationed at Patna Junction to assist travellers. When the train reached Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, passengers were provided breakfast, water, and tea, along with health check-ups as part of the special assistance effort.
The CPRO noted that the number of additional coaches and other facilities would be scaled up based on passenger requirements in the coming days.
The catastrophic floods in Nepal have claimed over 650 lives, with more than 2,400 people still reported missing. Rescue operations are continuing across affected regions despite intermittent rainfall, with over 15,000 security personnel deployed for search and rescue missions.