On Friday evening, four coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed in Odisha‘s Balasore district, colliding head-on with a goods train traveling from the opposite direction on the other line, killing at least 233 people and injuring over 900. We present you with 5 major updates on one of India’s worst rail accidents.
According to records, the train disaster was one of the bloodiest since independence.
5 major updates on one of India’s worst rail accidents:
- The derailed carriages of the second train, which was traveling from Bengaluru to Kolkata, were rammed by the Coromandel Express, which was traveling from Kolkata to Chennai.
- People from one only bogie are yet to be rescued, which is severely mangled.
- The railway tracks were nearly damaged at the scene, with shredded coaches strewn around, some mounted on another, and a few bogies turned turtle owing to the accident.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his distress over the accident and announced an additional compensation of ₹ 2 lakh for the family of those dead and ₹ 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
- The Odisha government issued helpline 06782-262286. The railway helplines are 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore), and 044- 25330952 (Chennai).
Also read: “Limbless bodies, bloodbath on tracks”: Survivor recalls Odisha Train Crash
Citing the latest report, Odisha Chief Secretary PK Jena said the death count stands at 233, while around 900 people were injured in the accident that occurred in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday.
The rescue operations are on and all hospitals in the nearby districts have been put on alert. Three NDRF units, 4 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force units, over 15 fire rescue teams, 30 doctors, 200 police personnel, and 60 ambulances have been mobilized to the site, Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep told NDTV.
