A tech entrepreneur from Utah finds himself coming to terms with the ramifications of a decision he made back in 2008. Chris Willson purchased a historic cruise ship after discovering a listing on Craigslist. This purchase led to a 15-year journey of passionate restoration, transforming the 293-foot vessel into a treasure that boasted 85 cabins, a swimming pool, and a theatre. However, despite his efforts and dreams of establishing a museum aboard, Mr Willson was forced to sell the ship in October 2023 – a decision that continues to “haunt” him.

The ship, originally named Wappen von Hamburg and built in 1955, had a storied history as one of Germany’s first post-World War II passenger liners. Feeling inspired, Mr Willson bought the vessel and ‘sank’ his life savings – over $1 million – into the project.

Renaming it Aurora, he relocated it to California and moved aboard with his partner, Jin Li. He dedicated years to its renovation. With the help of volunteers, he made substantial progress, restoring 10 major areas of the ship. Mr Willson’s goal was to turn Aurora into a floating museum.

However, Chris Willson’s dream of transforming the vessel into a museum met with resistance from locals. His restoration project did not sit right with residents, particularly after another nearby ship, the Canadian minesweeper HMCS Chaleur, sank in 2021.

In January 2023, a military tugboat docked near the Aurora also sank, sparking a pollution issue that attracted the attention of local authorities. With the pressure mounting, Mr Willson and his partner realised they could no longer sustain the project.

“Maybe Aurora wasn’t in the right place,” Ms Li told CNN. “Maybe if Aurora was in a different state, or a different country it would have been different.”

In late 2023, Mr Willson made the difficult decision to sell the ship. While he believed the buyer shared his passion for preserving the Aurora, disaster struck just seven months later.

In May 2024, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office reported that the Aurora was sinking. A hole in the vessel caused it to take on water, leaking diesel fuel and oil into the Delta Waterway. Contractors hired by the US Coast Guard managed to refloat the ship, but it was clear the vessel’s future was bleak.

“I meticulously maintained that ship,” Mr Willson told CNN, shocked over the sinking. “We had it for 15 years, and we had no problem with it.”

“It haunts me, and I lose sleep over it,” he said.

Today, the city of Stockton is managing the operation to remove the Aurora, though no clear ownership of the ship exists. Chris Willson, who built a large following on YouTube around the restoration project, continues to reflect on his time with the ship, describing it as one of the most fulfilling experiences of his life despite the unfortunate outcome. “I don’t have any regrets on what I’ve done,” he said.

Buxar:

Coaches can be seen strewn on both sides of the track, a few of these several feet away, in Raghunathpur, a non-descript town in Buxar district of Bihar where the North East Express derailed.

Four AC coaches, all of which have jumped the rails but remained coupled, form a scary serpentine pattern with shattered window panes serving as a telltale sign.

The guard of the Assam-bound train, Vijay Kumar, recalls having fallen unconscious from the impact of the derailment.

“I was busy with my paperwork when I realized that the driver suddenly applied brakes. This was followed by a few jerks, and I fainted. Later, I found myself in the adjoining fields, where villagers were sprinkling drops of water on my face,” said Kumar, who has sustained minor injuries.

With the rescue of passengers complete, the focus is now on restoration.

The entire area has been cordoned off as villagers watch gigantic cranes and machinery used for cutting through metal at work. They feel that, given the scale of devastation, it may be several days before the tracks are again fit for traffic.

Railways, though, insist that it will not take that long.

Mahendra Yadav, a 64-year-old resident of Madhepura district who was traveling in an AC 3-tier coach, recalled amid sobs, “It was an experience I may never forget. Suddenly, all of us started getting tossed off our berths by a force that none of us could fathom.” The elderly person is full of gratitude for local residents who had rushed to the spot and pulled out most of the passengers from the toppled coaches by the time the railway and other administrative officials arrived with assistance.

In an adjoining coach, Mohd Nasir and Abu Zayed, both residents of Kishanganj district, were fast asleep, perhaps enjoying pleasant dreams of a vacation at home, away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi.

As fate would have it, only one of them survived to witness the horror, which may remain a memory etched in his consciousness for some time to come.

“We had boarded the train on Wednesday morning. It was a tiring journey, and after having an early dinner, we went to sleep. The train would have reached Kishanganj early the next morning. Suddenly, I felt a jolt and got thrown off my berth. It took a while before I could understand what had happened,” said Nasir, with shock writ large on his gaunt, bespectacled face.

While Nasir thanked his stars for escaping with minor bruises in the accident, which saw virtually the entire train being thrown off the rails, his eyes turned moist as he recalled rescue personnel taking away the body of Abu Zayed, who is in his 20s, informing him that his friend was dead.

Ishalaur Rehman, a resident of Delhi, recalled how 10-15 people fell on him after a sudden jolt.

“I am lucky to have survived the accident with a minor injury to my hand. But what I saw was unforgettable. I boarded the train at Prayagraj for New Jalpaiguri. I was sitting on my seat, but suddenly, there was a deafening sound, and we were thrown from our seats. I could only hear screams all around,” he said.

“Locals took us to the nearby health center. Now, I am fine,” he added.

Twenty-three coaches of the train, on the way to Kamakhya in Assam from Delhi’s Anand Vihar station, derailed near Raghunathpur on Wednesday night.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)