'Could See Disfigured Faces Of Corpses I Was Trapped Under': Coromandel Express Passenger Recalls Horror

Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah train on its way to Howrah derailed at Bahanaga Baazar in the Balasore district and fell on adjacent tracks.

A horrific triple train crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train occurred in Odisha on Friday, killing at least 50 people and injuring over 350 others, news agency PTI reported citing officials. Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah train on its way to Howrah derailed at Bahanaga Baazar in the Balasore district and fell on adjacent tracks.

A train passenger recalled the horrific incident and what happened inside the train during the accident. "I was sleeping at the time the train derailed. I noticed that there were about 10,15 people piled on top of me at the time. I am not sure about the numbers, but when I was rescued from the train, I noticed that some people had lost their legs, hands, and some of them had their faces disfigured," a passenger was quoted as saying in Hindi by news agency ANI. 

According to the PTI report, over 350 people have been admitted to various hospitals throughout the district, and all private and government hospitals in the surrounding districts, including the state capital Bhubaneswar, have been put on high alert. 50 bodies could be extracted from beneath the overturned coaches, the report said. 

READ | Ashwini Vaishnaw Announces Rs 10 Lakh Ex Gratia For Families Of Deceased

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said he was on his way to the scene of the accident.

He also announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 10 lakh for those who died, Rs 2 lakh for those who were seriously injured, and Rs 50,000 for those who suffered minor injuries.

The Odisha government has issued a helpline 06782-262286. The railway helplines are 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore), and 044- 25330952 (Chennai).