Odisha train accident: TV interview helps Nepali couple reunite with son

A live television interview of a Nepali couple aired from AIIMS Bhubaneswar helped them reunite with their minor son who was injured in the Odisha train accident

The 15-year-old boy, Ramananda Paswan, who was recuperating in the ICU of a hospital in Cuttack, saw his parents on a news channel and alerted the staff.

The hospital then facilitated the reunion of the boy with his parents who had come from Nepal to search for him.

“I am happy to find my son. He was travelling with three of our relatives. All of them were killed in the accident. He, however, miraculously escaped with injuries,” said the boy’s father Hari Paswan.

After coming to Bhubaneswar, Hari and his wife were visiting one hospital after another in search of their son.

While in AIIMS Bhubaneswar, they came across a journalist of a local TV news channel who reported their ordeal.

Ramananda saw the report on the television in his room and identified his parents. He informed the hospital authorities about it.

“The hospital called up the TV channel’s office, got the videos and showed them to Ramananda to reconfirm if they were indeed his parents. Following this, the hospital authorities were successful in connecting Ramanada with his parents,” SCB Medical College Emergency Officer Dr BN Moharana told PTI.

"Emotional moment for us that a 15-year-old boy from Nepal Ramanand Paswan who was a victim of Baleswar Train tragedy got his parents miraculously," the hospital tweeted.

The Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train, derailing most of its coaches at 7 pm on June 2. A few of those toppled over the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express which was passing by at the same time.

In all, 288 people died in the accident and more than 1,200 were injured.