Odisha train crash: Brother rescues 10-year-old from under heap of 7 bodies

In a harrowing incident in Odisha's Bahanaga Bazar - the site of a catastrophic three-way rail accident last week that killed nearly 280 people - ten-year-old Debasish Patra was left trapped under the weight of seven dead bodies. Miraculously though, the young boy was rescued by his older brother and villagers on Saturday, after hours of a desperate rescue operation, The Times of India reported.

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A Class 5 student, Debasish and some members of his family were traveling to Bhadrak in Odisha on the Coromandel Express when an apparent signalling issued caused a pile-up between the former train, a superfast Bengaluru-Howrah service and a parked goods train. The Central Bureau of Investigation has been directed to inquire into the horrific accident and began its probe this morning.

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What happened to Debasish Patra?

Debasish suffered multiple injuries on his forehead and face as a result of the crash.

After the trains collided, the young boy found himself trapped beneath the weight of several bodies.

According to the report by To, his older brother displayed remarkable courage to work in coordination with local villagers to mount a rescue operation. Despite the challenging circumstances, their combined efforts eventually succeeded in extricating Debasish from the wreckage.

"My father had booked tickets in Coromandel Express for Bhadrak, where uncle and aunty were waiting to receive us. From there we planned to go to Puri. My father, mother and elder brother had planned the trip and all were travelling with me," Debasish later said.

"A few minutes after the train left Balasore on Friday evening, I was sitting next to my mother and suddenly there was a huge sound followed by a massive jerk and everything went dark. I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, I was in terrible pain and trapped under a heap of bodies."

Is Debasish Patra safe?

After his rescue, Debasish Patra was transported to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack

His injuries are severe but doctors are cautiously optimistic about his recovery.

The father who wouldn't give up!

In another heart-warming tale of bravery and hope, a father's refusal to accept his son's demise led to a miraculous reunion that defied all odds. The extraordinary journey unfolded as the father embarked on a 230-kilometre quest to Balasore to bring his son back home safely to Kolkata.

Helaram Malik, a shopkeeper from Howrah in Bengal, was told about the collision hours after dropping off his son, Biswajit, at Shalimar Station to board the Coromandel Express.

Reacting immediately, he called his son on his mobile phone. Biswajit, in great pain, managed to answer the call with a feeble voice and his father knew the boy was still alive.

The father immediately contacted Palash Pandit, a local ambulance driver, and the pair, with Helaram's brother-in-law, Dipak Das, drove 230 km to the crash site.