NEW DELHI, Aug 4: A Union Minister today got first hand experience of how the authorities deal with accidents when Minister of State for Water Resources Sheesh Ram Ola found himself stuck in the overturned bogie of the Shekhawati-Link express which derailed near Mahendragarh early this morning. At least 11 persons were injured and four of them seriously. The Minister escaped with four broken ribs.

``I apprised Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan of what happened and he has promised to take action. A whole lot of officials and Ministers arrived to see me today but what is the point. The manner in which the local authorities behaved is surprising,'' said Ola, from his hospital bed at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Sabotage is suspected in the accident as the rail joints were opened and fish plates removed from the metre gauge line. The train runs between Delhi and Jaipur. Ola was returning from Jhunjunu. The accident took place at 2.45 am when, following a loud crash, 11 bogies derailed. ``A parcel van fell in between the bogies preventing them from climbing on top of each other. I managed to come out after 15 minutes. It was pitch dark and I could only hear people screaming. Four Army men are seriously injured.''

``It was such a big accident--I myself am so seriously injured-- and yet the officials' response was so tardy,'' Ola said. They did not arrive on time and when they did, they did not bring any medical relief or vehicles to take the injured away. ``And Mahendergarh is just 7 km away from Bhojawas village where the accident took place. There is even civil hospital there but help arrived after 6 a.m. from Rewari, 45 km away in the form of a lady doctor. Even she was not much help,'' he said.

Ola said he called for the guard who said the authorities and the control room have been informed. But no help came. Narnaul is near Mahendargarh and the SHO arrived but without any vehicles to transport the injured. The villagers finally brought a tractor and trolley and carted the injured to Mahendergarh. The SDM arrived after 6 a.m. but empty handed, Ola said.

The Minister finally decided to move on his own at 7 a.m. but was given a lift to Rewari by the Mahendargarh SDM. He arrived in Delhi on his own by the Intercity Express after which he got all the attention. Senior railway officials reportedly did not know of the accident for more than eight hours.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.