18-yr-old dreamt of pucca house, went to Kerala for work; train crash killed him

BURDWAN: Chotu Sardar, who just turned 18, dreamt of building a pucca house for his family, so he joined his father — a construction worker — to venture to Kerala in search of work. His dream remained unfulfilled as Chotu lost his life in the train crash in Odisha’s Balasore.

Chotu’s father Suklal survived the accident, but the sight of his dead son devastated him.

As the news of Chotu’s death reached his house in Korui village in Katwa in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district, a pall of gloom descended. Suklal has been working as a mason in Kerala for long, locals said, adding that he took his son along with him for the first time. He wanted his family to have a better life, so he wanted to train his son in masonry and took him along, they said.

They were among 10 people from the village travelling on Friday’s ill-fated Coromandel Express, which was involved in the triple crash in Balasore. Suklal is at present critical and undergoing treatment at a hospital in Odisha. Many members of the group are still missing, locals said.

Saddam Sheikh, 28, of nearby Kaithan village also lost his life in the train crash. He was heading to Kerala to work as a construction labourer. He is survived by a one-monthold son and wife.

Yead Ali Sheikh, 37, of Kurumb village in Mongalkote police station area is missing after the accident. He too was travelling on Coromandel Express in search of work.

Yead Ali and Taher Ali are two brothers, who work as construction workers in Kerala. The two brothers go to the southern state alternately. Taher Ali would have returned home after Yead Ali reached Kerala, their family said.

Yead Ali’s wife, two children and their parents were spending sleepless nights, waiting for the news of his whereabouts. His phone has been ringing, but no one is picking up, his father said.

Locals said the family does not have enough money to hire a vehicle and go to the accident site in the Balasore district.

District Magistrate Priyanka Singla said five people from the district have been killed in the accident, and all of them were travelling on the Coromandel Express. State Animal Resource Development minister Swapan Debnath, the MLA of Purbasthali Dakshin, said he is keeping a tab on the situation.