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Passenger dies on Howrah–Puri Vande Bharat Express after delays in medical aid

Authorities have sent the body for post-mortem at Capital Hospital with family present under rising scrutiny of train emergency protocols

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Overview

  • 57-year-old Himadri Bhowmik fell ill in coach C2 after leaving Cuttack and was declared dead on arrival at Bhubaneswar hospital
  • Travel companion Debarati Majumdar and other passengers said they struggled to secure an oxygen cylinder and waited before medical assistance arrived
  • The train remained halted at Bhubaneswar for about 45 minutes while station managers and Railway Protection Force personnel arranged ambulance transport
  • Indian Railways asserts that premium trains do not carry onboard doctors and will only stop at stations equipped with medical staff and ambulances
  • The Trinamool Congress accused the central government and rail minister of negligence over the absence of basic medical facilities on the Vande Bharat Express