Two Passenger Trains Collided in East India, 280 Dead

Bhubaneswar, MINA – Two passenger trains collided in the Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, on Friday. More than 200 ambulances are on standby at the scene.

While the Secretary to the head of state Pradeep Jena reported, the death toll of 280 died and 900 injured is expected to increase. About 850 people have been taken to hospital, according to information quoted by MINA.

Chronology of events The Coromandel Express operating from Kolkata to Chennai collided with another passenger train, the Howrah Superfast Express. The Southeastern Railroad Authority said the Howrah Superfast Express derailed and became entangled with the Coromandel Express.

This train crash incident became India’s worst transport accident in the last 20 years. Southeast Railways Authority’s senior deputy commercial manager, Rajesh Kumar, said Coromandel Express had changed lanes, which led to the incident, and the reasons would be investigated.

This train crash was India’s worst in 20 years.

Bodies recovered from a passenger train lie on the tracks at the crash site, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds. other people in more than a dozen damaged train cars, officials said.

“Efforts to save the victims continue. Additional medical supplies and medicines at the hospital where the victims are being treated are also being taken care of,” Jena said.

Rescue teams were mobilized from Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar and Kolkata in West Bengal, said the federal minister for railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, as well as from the National Disaster Response Force, a state government team and the air force. Hundreds of firefighters, police officers and sniffer dogs were also involved.

The director general of the fire department in Odisha, Sudhanshu Sarangi, said they managed to recover about 200 bodies.

“We are trying to find bodies that may still be trapped under the destroyed compartment. The operation will continue for a few more hours,” Sarangi said. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)