Railway back in business
Ulaanbaatar Railway (UBTZ) managed to resume normal operations at 10:18 p.m. on Monday after a derailed passenger train stopped its operations on Sunday morning.
Train No.286 carrying over 300 passengers flipped to its side as a result of seriously flood afflicted damages to railway tracks in Airag soum, Dornogovi Province. After the accident, UBTZ stopped its operations for an indefinite period to prevent similar accidents.
Over 200 railway workers participated in recovery operations with technical assistance from Russia. In response to the Ministry of Roads and Transport Development’s request for assistance, the Russian government sent a fleet of 30 vehicles and they arrived at the accident site at 2:00 a.m. on August 13. Two vehicles from Zuunbayan Military Unit were also sent by authorities to speed up recovery operations.
Railway workers repaired and reconnected the damaged railway track before pulling up three passenger trains and a cargo wagon. Now, they are cleaning the accident site, according to UBTZ.
...Railway workers repaired and reconnected the damaged railway track before pulling up three passenger trains and a cargo wagon...
OVER 120 PEOPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
Authorities haven’t given an update on the health conditions of injured passengers.
According to the latest report made by Head of Medical Assistance Department of the Ministry of Health M.Battuvshin on Monday, more than 120 people were examined at the Central Hospital of Govisumber Province.
“Two passengers were in serious condition. A 54-year-old woman who sustained a head injury was taken to the Injury and Trauma Hospital in Ulaanbaatar. A team of seven medical personnel from the Injury and Trauma Hospital treated the injured at the site of the accident and performed an emergency surgery for a 48-year-old woman who was diagnosed with liver laceration, broken rib and lung injury. She needs to be transported to Ulaanbaatar for additional tests and examinations as the doctor in charge suspected physical damage to her brain in addition to pelvic fracture. She is currently being treated at the Central Hospital of Govisumber Province.”
M.Battuvshin stated that the 54-year-old has been moved to the intensive care unit and another two patients are being treated at regular wards. Other passengers were allowed to go home as they suffered from less serious injuries such as concussion and soft tissue injuries.
“There were three pregnant women on the train. Since all three live in Dornogovi Province, they were sent home but are being remotely monitored by doctors. We recorded every passenger’s name and address and told authorities to check up on them. No one has made an appointment with their local doctor so far. However, we still need to monitor their health as brain injuries show signs one to three
days after the accident,” M.Battuvshin said.
500 PEOPLE INVOLVED IN RECOVERY WORK
The National Emergency Management Department deployed a working group led by Head of the Prompt Disaster Management Division B.Mandakhgerel to handle recovery works.
“In total 486 people including railway workers, police officers, emergency workers and backup from military units No. 281 and No. 336, fire brigade from nearby soums, and a medical team from the Medical Center of Dornogovi Province are working at the site,” he said.
The National Emergency Department reported that besides damaging the railway track, Saturday’s downpour in Airag soum of Dornogovi Province flooded nearby homes, injuring two people. Emergency workers managed to move flood victims to a safe place.
O.BAASANJAV: I WAS ONLY DOING MY JOB
O.Baasanjav, an officer at the Railway Security Service in Govisumber Province, happened to be traveling with his wife and two children on the train that derailed en route to Sainshand soum from Ulaanbaatar. He had started helping passengers out of the train by breaking a train window before emergency workers arrived at the site.
When asked about the situation, O.Baasanjav refused to share the details of the incident.
“We have a regulation on internal affairs. I can’t disclose any information without permission from my superiors. I only fulfilled my duty as a soldier who has sworn an oath to my country,” he said.
O.Baasanjav was apparently on his annual leave when the accident oc- curred. He was heading back home after buying stationaries, books and uniform for his children who will be back to school in September. His wife’s social media post, which read, “I’m proud of my husband”, had received many “likes” and “shares”.
She wrote, “When I was traveling to Sainshand with my family, the train suddenly flipped. It was extremely frightening. People were screaming everywhere. Exactly then, my husband moved on instinct, gave instructions to train attendants, and started helping people get out after breaking a window. It was impossible to jump off the train because one of the wagons was being swept by the flood. But my husband pulled out one of the beds on the train and used it as a bridge over the water to get people to safety. Some people hindered him by going back to the train to retrieve their valuables or help their companions.”
“After managing to get everyone off the train in a short time, he called the railway director and told him to give hot tea to passengers to warm them up and calm them down. He also advised to pull the manual brakes on other wagons with passengers, put something heavy on their wheels, and count every passenger. The man complied and did as instructed. He told two police officers to check if anyone was thrown out of the train during the accident and recheck flipped trains to make sure nobody was left behind. When I told my husband to change his wet clothes, he ran off with a fire extinguisher saying that another wagon might explode because the fuel was leaking. Everyone had been taken to a safe place but my husband remained outside, guarding the accident site. He even refused to get medical assistance and remained in his wet clothes.”
“It’s been 18 hours since the accident occurred. I’ve come home with my children but my husband still hasn’t come back. I guess this shows how dedicated he is to his job.”
O.Baasanjav arrived home on Monday evening. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that his valor and quick actions prevented serious injuries and fatalities from the train accident.