Samjotha Express brings Survivors to Wagha
By Khawaja Ahsan Paul 'Pakistan Times' Punjab Bureau Chief

LAHORE: Samjotha Express with some 527 horrified passengers arrived at Wagha Railway Station here Monday evening as the government announced Rs 2000-Rs 5000 to facilitate each of the passengers go back to their home whose belongings were reduced to ashes during Sunday night explosions.

The explosions coupled with fire in the train near Indian town of Panipat had resulted in the death of 67 passengers, mostly Pakistanis.

Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad received the train when it arrived at Wagha, the town located on Indo-Pak border, some 29 kilometers off here.

In addition to 527 passengers of the train from New Delhi, another 186 passengers boarded the train from Indian border town of Attari.

"Unfortunately, the Indian authorities have not provided enough details to end the anxiety of the families of passengers back in Pakistan," Sheikh Rashid Ahmad told newsmen on the arrival of the ill-fated train.

He said that a C-130 aircraft was ready to airlift the bodies of the passengers killed in the incident and the injured to Pakistan.

Passengers traumatized by Sunday night happenings, almost broke into tears while narrating their horrifying tales to the newsmen.

"It was like a nightmare for me and my family," Shah Muhammad of Karachi said who alongwith two children jumped out of the train to save life.

Jamiluddin, a resident of Asif Jah Road, New Delhi said that the explosions took place at 11.55 p.m. (Indian Standard Time) and the resultant fire made everybody trapped in the boggies.

Federal Minister for Communication, Shamim Siddiqi and MQM MNA, Kamran Rizvi also visited the Wagha Railway Station to express solidarity with the families of the Samjotha train passengers.

Joy and Pain

For some there were tear-streaked reunions when the train finally rolled in to Wagah station on the Pakistani-Indian border Monday.

For others there were just tears.

"No one has told me anything. I don't know what has happened to them," wept Furqan Mehmood as there was no sign of his grandmother and brother who were returning from visiting relatives in the Indian city of Saharanpur.

Mehmood, from Lahore, was among hundreds of people gathered Monday at Wagah seeking information after devastating firebombs killed 67 people, mostly Pakistanis, on the India-Pakistan "Friendship Express".

There was better news for Masood Alam Khan, his wife Razia and their children as they hugged a pair of elderly relatives at the station after the express arrived at 6:15 pm (13:15 GMT).

"We were extremely worried and waited here all day, but our prayers were answered when we found our relatives coming from India alive," Khan told media.

After the overnight attack 11 of 16 carriages continued the journey to Pakistan, while five remained in India following the bombs that officials say were designed to derail the South Asian peace process.

Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said 716 passengers arrived in Wagha, including 527 who had been aboard the Indian train when it was hit by an explosion some 18 hours earlier.

Some passengers had lost their entire luggage to the flames, including their passports.

Ahmed said officials were relaxing customs and immigration procedures for Pakistanis to spare them even greater stress.

“Pakistanis who have identification, they are all right, we will double check them. But the Indians without passports, they are not allowed to enter,'' Ahmed said.

List of Injured

Pakistan Railways has displayed a list of some of the injured of Samjotha Express train incident at Lahore Railway Station.

The injured include- 1. Rana Shaukat, 2. Mrs. Shaukat, 3. Isna Shaukat, 4. Muhammad Nadeem, 5. Shakeel, 6. Muhammad Yaqeen, 7. Muhammad Sadiq, 8. Hari, 9. Ramesh, 10. Ashok, 11. Dharam Din, 11. Sami, 12. Abdul Qayyum s/o Sami, 13. Rukhsana, 14. Muhammad Arif.

Pakistan Railways has set up special counters to facilitate the families to know about the well-being of the passengers of the ill-fated train.

The contact numbers of the counters are- 042-6364715, 6364716, 6364717, 6363851, 6362032 and 9201110.●