Woman gives birth in stranded train

A woman gave birth in a train stranded at Jaleswar station in Odisha's Balasore district in a blockade by tribals in West Bengal, Railways sources said Tuesday.

The 30-year-old woman gave birth Monday evening in Secunderabad-Guwahati Superfast Express by which she and her husband were travelling from Vijaywada to Kishanganj, Jaleswar station master Khagendra Mandal said.

The train was stranded at Jaleswar station since morning due to the rail roko and the woman began her labour pains, he said.

The station master was contacted and a doctor and nurse were arranged from a nearby hospital as the woman was unable and unwilling to move out of the train.

The nurse along with some women passengers helped her and she gave birth to a girl child, Mandal said.

Both mother and the new born baby are in good health and proceeded to their destination when the train service resumed early Tuesday, he said.

Necessary medical facilities and materials together with medicines and hot water were arranged for their onward train journey, Mandal added.

Train services in South Eastern Railway's (SER) Kharagpur division were affected since 6 am Monday owing to blockade by Bharat Jakat Majhi Marwa, an umbrella organisation of tribals demanding recognition of their language.

The agitation had hit movement of trains and they were detained at various stations of Kharagpur-Howrah, Kharagpur-Tatanagar, Kharagpur-Bhadrak and Kharagpur-Adra sections, a SER spokesman had said.