CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The Bhopal Gas Tragedy, which occurred on the night of 2–3 December 1984 in the capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, is considered one of the world’s deadliest industrial disasters. On 3 December, at the memorial established at Bhopal Railway Station dedicated to all martyred and deceased railway employees, DRM Pankaj Tyagi along with other officials and staff offered flowers and observed a moment of silence to pay tribute.
The tragedy was caused by the leakage of methyl isocyanate gas from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people and affecting millions more. Official records document 3,787 deaths, while other estimates suggest approximately 8,000 people died within two weeks, and another 8,000 succumbed later due to gas-related illnesses.
During this period, when the city was engulfed in fear and chaos, Station Manager Harish Dhurve and 44 other railway employees stationed at Bhopal Railway Station set an extraordinary example of human service and duty. Wearing cloth masks to protect themselves from the poisonous gas, they stayed on duty to prevent trains arriving from Bina and Itarsi from entering Bhopal Station.
Demonstrating remarkable promptness, the railway staff safely stopped:
Trains from Bina at Salamatpur and Vidisha, and
Trains from Itarsi around Misrod, Mandideep, Obedullaganj, and Budni.
As a result of this courageous action, more than two dozen trains were halted before reaching Bhopal, saving the lives of thousands of passengers. Had these trains reached Bhopal Station, the passengers would have been at severe risk from exposure to the poisonous gas.
Exemplifying supreme dedication, Station Manager Harish Dhurve sacrificed his life that very night. Several of the remaining 44 railway employees also died within a week, while others succumbed after years of treatment.
To eternally commemorate these 45 immortal railway heroes, the “Bhopal Gas Tragedy Railway Employees Memorial” was constructed within the Bhopal Station premises, inscribed with the names of all martyred and deceased employees. This memorial not only symbolizes their sacrifice but also imparts to future generations the highest ideals of duty, human service, and courage.
The West Central Railway, Bhopal Division pays heartfelt tribute to all these brave railway employees and will forever remember their indomitable courage.
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