In a devastating train accident in Odisha's Balasore district, the death toll has risen to 120, with more fatalities feared as rescue operations continue. The accident has left over 800 people injured, as per the latest reports. Sudhanshu Sarangi, Director General of Odisha Fire Services, stated that the recovery teams have found over 120 bodies, and the death toll may rise further.
In the train accident that occurred in Odisha on Friday, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train were involved. According to a railway official, several coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express derailed and fell onto adjacent tracks, colliding with the coaches of the Coromandel Express, causing them to capsize.
Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma explained that the Coromandel Express derailed first, with its coaches falling onto the line on which the Bengaluru-Howrah Express was travelling. As a result, the latter train also jumped off the tracks. Odisha Chief Secretary PK Jena later confirmed that three trains were involved in the accident.
Overnight Rescue Ops Underway
Rescue operations were launched immediately, with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw rushing to the scene. The Air Force was also called in to assist in the rescue efforts. Over 1,200 personnel, along with 115 ambulances, 50 buses, and 45 mobile health units, were deployed to provide medical assistance at the accident site.
Gas cutters have been employed to extricate passengers from the derailed coaches, with a focus on rescuing the seriously injured first. Search and rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRF) continued their efforts to locate and assist passengers. Despite the challenging conditions, rescue teams are working diligently under floodlights hastily set up for the operation.
Ambulances have flocked around to transport the injured to nearby hospitals in Soro, Khantapada, and even as far as Bhubaneswar and Gopalpur.
The railways announced compensation for the victims, with Rs 10 lakh for the deceased, Rs 2 lakh for the seriously injured, and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.