Fresh report of bridge collapse near Bengal-Bihar border further delay restoration of train services

Kolkata/Siliguri, Aug 19 : Restoration efforts to resume train services between Howrah-Sealdah to NJP ( north Bengal ) and further northeastern states of the country received fresh jolt when a link bridge near-Bengal-Bihar border connecting the northeast states collapsed, even as flood situation in seven northers districts of Bengal remained unchanged today affecting some 20 lakh people with 51 death so far, official sources said. Northeast Frontier Railway's senior area manager at NJP station Partha Sarathi Seal told that a link bridge between Telta and Sudhani in the border areas Bihar and Bengal collapsed severing connection to landlocked north eastern states of the country. " We can not say when the link could be restored may be 6/7 days or more depending on weather and position of the affected area, Mr Seal said. The Railway Board, which had ordered all the zonal railways not to venture before August 20, but the fresh report of link bridge collapse would further delay the resumption of train services. Only a train from Guwahati to Dalkhola and back was running daily in slow pace to evacuate people. With loco services have been suspended beyond Malda station for past one week due to flooding in major parts of north Bengal, and neighbouring Bihar, more than 20 lakh people have been affected with lakh of homeless due to flooding of their villages. With three more death in past 24 hours, altogether 51 people have died in flood related accidents in seven districts of north Bengal. With sporadic rains the situation also worsen in South and North Dinajpur, Malda as hundreds of thousands people stranded in waist to chest deep water. Even people could be seen taking shelter in tree branches, which are not safe from poisonous snakes and other dangerous insects. With roads, rail tracks and highways under the water in miles after miles, people were seen taking sick people on bullock carts and makeshift boats to nearest public health facilities. The rations and relief were also not adequate for the affected people and looting of cooked food was also reported by the hungry people. North Dinajpur SP Shayam Singh, escorted by his security men in thigh deep water, was seen distributing dry foods among the hungry people at Ital village in Raijunge. He said they have been distributing relief to the people and there was no dearth of food to be distributed in the region. However, the hungry people alleged that they have been without food for days with no dry place to live in. They said even the roof top of tilled home was unsafe and many of them were forced to live on the tree branches along with snakes and insects. The West Bengal government has mobilised its resources to rescue the stranded people to safer places. The transport department gradually increasing its fleet of passenger buses to Siliguri and Cooch Behar from Kolkata and Malda. UNI