2,342 people arrive in West Bengal in two special trains

Two special trains carrying 2,342 people, many of whom were stranded due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, arrived in West Bengal from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, officials said.

In the morning, a special train from Bengaluru reached the Bankura station and at 5 pm, another train from Katpadi in Tamil Nadu reached the Howrah station, they said.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The first and second phase of the lockdown was from March 25 to April 14 and April 15 to May 3, respectively. The third phase began from May 4 and would end on May 17.

Passengers of the train from Katpadi in Vellore mainly comprised patients and their relatives. They had gone there for treatment, and besides them, migrant labourers and students also arrived by the train.

The passengers hail from different districts of West Bengal, the officials said.

The 22-coach train to Bankura departed from Bengaluru on May 10 and reached its destination on Tuesday morning with 1,200 passengers, Bankura District Magistrate Arun Prasad said.

The special train from Katpadi to Howrah had 1,142 passengers in 24 coaches, a South Eastern Railway official said in Kolkata.

The passengers who alighted at the Howrah station were subjected to medical examination before being sent home in state government arranged buses and other vehicles, the officials said.

Those at the Bankura station underwent medical check-up and were given refreshments by the district administration, Prasad said.

He said at least 100 state-run buses were arranged to transport the returnees to their native places in Jhargram, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Birbhum, Malda and Murshidabad districts.

The officials said ambulances were arranged for those who had gone for medical treatment and were still recuperating.

Though tired after the long journey, the passengers were visibly happy to be able to return to their homes after being stuck in the Karnataka capital for a long time owing to the lockdown.

"With little money in hand and no means to get back home, it was a very welcome move by the state government and the Railway ministry to arrange for the train to bring us back home," said one of the returnees, who had gone to Bengaluru for medical treatment.