Odisha train mishap: Rescue team battling possible PTSD

Bhubaneswar: The rescue teams from NDRF, ODRAF, and Fire Services encountered horrific scenes of blood, headless bodies, and bodies without limbs while undertaking one of the most critical rescue operations after the deadly train mishap at Bahanaga in Balasore.

The incident was so heart-wrenching that it left even the firefighters in trauma. This horrific rescue operation tested their mental strength.

“The scenes of that night when we reached the accident spot still haunt me. I usually dream of dead bodies and a lady’s body which did not have limbs below her torso. I could not sleep the whole night,” said Anand Patra, a firefighter.

“I am afraid to go into the dark now. The horrific scenes of that night make me weary of the darkness. I even smell the blood and see the headless bodies in my sleep. I am sleeping with lights on in the night,” said another firefighter.

“These things get stuck in our minds which make us uneasy later. This is an occupational hazard. We have to deal with it. So, these people need to take counseling after such a horrific mission,” said Rasa Bihari Mohanty, Former Fire Officer.

Following this, a Psychiatrist said, “If the rescuers are seeing flashbacks of blood, severed head and limbs on a regular basis and are getting unusually anxious, then it can be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). If they are diagnosed with PTSD then they need to get immediate medical counseling.”