For the first time ever in the history of the Indian Railways, the Indian Air Force was used for rescuing victims at Jhargram heralding a new era in rescue operations at rail accidents sites.
The timely arrival of three IAF helicopters carrying medical help at the accident site resulted in saving the lives of more than 10 seriously injured train passengers, according to senior railway official.
The helicopters were deployed from IAF station at Kalaikunda, located at 30 km from Kharagpur the nearest air force station to the accident spot.
IAF station houses the squadron no 20 of the eastern air command.
The decision to engage the IAF in rescue operations was taken during a very high level ministry level meeting that took place at 3 am on Saturday morning.
Officials decided to take IAF's help as the only means to reach the accident site was by road and was not easily accessible to rescue the injured passengers. In the wee hours of the morning senior railway ministry officials contacted Air Chief Marshal P V Naik requesting for an air rescue.
The first IAF helicopter to land at the accident site was at 7.30 am on Friday morning. Senior railway officials said that the helicopter pilots were experts in rescue operation and landed near the accident site without hampering the rescue operations.
The injured were flown to the railway stadium at Kharagpur and subsequently taken to hospitals by ambulances. Though the doctors from railway had also arrived at the accident site and were attending the victims, the number of injured had outnumbered the doctors from the railways and the doctors who had flown in from IAF helicopters helped in saving many more lives.
