Patna: Indian Railways arranged additional coaches and confirmed berths for 106 passengers stranded in Nepal, helping them continue their journey to Nagpur after they were brought to Patna following flash floods in the neighbouring country.
According to railway officials, the group included 67 women. Most of the passengers were tourists who had travelled to Nepal and were unable to continue their journey after floods disrupted movement in several areas.
The stranded passengers were brought from Sitamarhi to Patna in state government buses before the railways made arrangements for their onward travel.
Special Arrangements At Patna Junction
Danapur Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Abhinav Siddharth said special ticket counters were opened at Patna Junction on Friday night to issue tickets and arrange confirmed berths for the passengers.
Railway authorities released berths from the headquarters quota to accommodate the group.
All 106 passengers later boarded the Patna-Purna Express, which departed from Patna at around 7.40am on Saturday, officials said.
Additional Coaches Added
East Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Saraswati Chandra said two additional 3AC coaches were attached to the Patna-Purna Express to accommodate all the passengers.
The arrangements were made to ensure that the stranded passengers could continue their journey safely after being affected by the flooding in Nepal.
Medical And Security Support Provided
Railways also stationed a medical team at Patna Junction to provide immediate assistance to passengers, many of whom had faced considerable hardship after being stranded in flood-affected areas.
Senior railway officials, ticket-checking staff and Railway Protection Force personnel were deployed at the station to assist the passengers. Porters were also engaged to help them.
Passengers who received confirmed berths expressed appreciation for the assistance provided during their onward journey.
