Balasore train accident: 'Rescuers facing loss of appetite, hallucinations'

New Delhi, June 6

Traumatised by what they saw when they reached the train crash site in Odisha’s Balasore district, a rescuer suffered hallucinations as he was seeing blood every time he saw water and another lost appetite, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General Atul Karwal said today.

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In all, nine NDRF teams were deployed for the rescue operations after the train crash incident, which is considered to be one of the worst railway disasters in India that killed at least 278 people and injured more than 900.

In his inaugural address at the one-day “Annual Conference on Capacity Building for Disaster Response-2023” being organised by the NDRF here, Karwal said, “I recently met the personnel, who were involved in the rescue operation following the Balasore train accident… One among them told me he hallucinated that he was seeing blood every time he saw water. Another said he lost the urge to eat after this rescue operation.”

Giving details of the accident, the DG said the crash was so severe that the coaches got mangled, trapping several bodies inside.

The NDRF DG, who visited the accident site, said that in view of the trauma faced by rescuers, the contingency force had initiated psychological counselling and mental stability courses once they return from a rescue and relief operation, as they become witness to several deaths and victims suffering from excruciating pain.