A devastating collision between two passenger trains in Odisha state, India, resulted in the death of at least 233 people and 900 injured. This horrific incident marks the deadliest rail accident the country has seen in over a decade.
Pradeep Jena, the state’s Chief Secretary, anticipates the death toll from Friday’s crash to increase further. Over 200 ambulances have been deployed to the Balasore district crash site, and an additional 100 doctors have been mobilized, supplementing the 80 already present.
Video coverage from police officials removing bodies, shrouded in white cloths, from the railway tracks and rescue workers scaling the wreckage of one of the trains in search of survivors as distraught passengers cried out for help from the scene.
The catastrophic collision occurred on Friday around 19:00 local time (1330 GMT). The Howrah Superfast Express, en route from Bangalore to Howrah, West Bengal, collided with the Coromandel Express, which operates between Kolkata and Chennai. Discrepancies exist in reports as to which train first derailed and intertwined with the other, sparking an investigation by the Ministry of Railways.
While Chief Secretary Jena has alluded to the potential involvement of a freight train, no confirmation from railway authorities has been issued as yet.
A comprehensive search and rescue mission has been initiated, utilizing the resources of the fire department, police force, sniffer dogs, and the National Disaster Response Force teams.
On Friday, numerous young people formed lines outside a government hospital in Soro, Odisha, offering to donate blood.
Indian Railways, a state-run monopoly, transports over 13 million people daily, but its safety record is inconsistent due to aging infrastructure.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of Odisha announced a state mourning day on June 3 to honor the victims.
