Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik thanked the people of Odisha, particularly the residents of Balasore, for their tremendous efforts in assisting the train accident victims last night. A large number of residents were seen extending all possible assistance to the victims of the train accident that occurred last evening after the Coromandel Express and SMVT-Howrah Super Fast Express derailed and collided with a goods train at Bahanaga in the Balasore district.


In a video message, Patnaik said: "I am truly proud of the people of Odisha, particularly the people of Balasore for their tremendous efforts for this terrible train accident. They came out in large numbers last night to help the victims of the accident.”


“I also want to thank the youth for their response in donating blood to the victims of this accident. This is how people should behave during a terrible time like this. I’m truly proud of the people of Odisha,” he added.


While hundreds of Balasore residents assisted in the rescue operation, hundreds of youths rushed to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital late at night and donated blood to aid in the treatment of the injured. Their noble actions have been praised by all, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


READ | Odisha Train Crash: Our Objective Is To Restore Normal Operation Of Trains By Wednesday, Says Railway Minister


Investigators were looking into possible human error, signal failure, and other causes of the three-train crash in Odisha's Balasore district on Saturday, as officials submitted a preliminary inquiry report into the worst rail accident in India in nearly three decades, which killed at least 288 people and injured over 1,100, PTI reported. 


Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the accident site and was briefed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and disaster management team officers. In the hospital, he also met some of the injured.


The crash involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, about 250 kilometres south of Kolkata and 170 kilometres north of Bhubaneswar.


In the accident, seventeen coaches were derailed and severely damaged, trapping hundreds of passengers. Experts attribute the high number of casualties to the fact that both passenger trains were travelling at high speeds.