Odisha train crash live: 'Balasore Collector confirms death toll as 288'
The train crash happened near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.
CHENNAI: In one of the worst railway disasters in India, at least 288 people were killed and more than 1,100 injured when three trains collided one after another in a horrific sequence in Odisha's Balasore district, setting off a massive rescue and evacuation process, officials said on Saturday.
The train crash happened near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.
The inquiry into the train accident will be led by A M Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety, South East Circle, the Indian Railways said in a statement.
Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, on the way to Howrah, derailed and fell on adjacent tracks, an official said.
"These derailed coaches collided with the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and its coaches capsized too," he said.
A goods train was also involved in the accident as some of the coaches of the Coromandel Express, which was heading to Chennai, hit its wagons after getting derailed, he added.
Locals said they heard consecutive loud sounds, following which they rushed to the spot and found the derailed coaches, which were nothing but "a mangled heap of steel".
More than 2,000 people gathered at the Balasore Medical College and Hospital in the night to help the injured, and many also donated blood.
The railways announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh for those grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for those who got minor injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too expressed his distress over the accident, and announced an additional ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Live Updates
3 Jun 2023 10:56 PM IST"The restoration work has started. We have arranged proper lighting for hassle-free restoration work. The team is on the site...we are on the job and we are trying to restore as soon as possible," says Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, CPRO, South Eastern Railway.
- 3 Jun 2023 10:54 PM IST
Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath along with other ministers observe silence to pay tributes to victims of Odisha train accident.
#WATCH | Varanasi, UP: Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath along with other ministers observe silence to pay tributes to victims of #OdishaTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/LtMBpbfUse
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023 - 3 Jun 2023 10:52 PM IST
"Large number of passengers (who were travelling in the accident-hit trains) have already reached their homes after taking the compensation amount. Our objective is that trains can start operating in a normal way latest by Wednesday morning," says Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
- 3 Jun 2023 10:49 PM IST
"288 bodies have been recovered so far. Around 800 injured persons are currently admitted to different hospitals. The rescue operation is expected to conclude in the next few hours," says Odisha chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena.
VIDEO | Odisha triple train accident: "288 bodies have been recovered so far. Around 800 injured persons are currently admitted in different hospitals. The rescue operation is expected to conclude in the next few hours," says state chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena. pic.twitter.com/ZWbOjQLImw
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 3, 2023 - 3 Jun 2023 10:45 PM IST
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sand sculpture on Odisha train accident, with the message "Praying for speedy recovery of survivors", at Puri beach in Odisha on Saturday.
- 3 Jun 2023 10:03 PM IST
"288 dead bodies recovered while more than 1000 injured people have been admitted to different hospitals. Efforts are underway to clear the leftover wreckage of derailed trains from the track. Restoration work will continue throughout the night though the weather is quite hot," says NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahidi
#OdishaTrainMishap | 288 dead bodies recovered while more than 1000 injured people have been admitted to different hospitals. Efforts are underway to clear the leftover wreckage of derailed trains from the track. Restoration work will continue throughout the night though weather… pic.twitter.com/yD84n5gGDi
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023 - 3 Jun 2023 9:59 PM IST
Amitabh Sharma, Spokesperson, Ministry of Railways speaks on the anti-collision device and states, "Anti-collision device was an old technology used in Railways. It used to work with automatic brakes in locomotive proximity. However, if the driver crossed the red signal, then there were no automatic brakes. The enhanced version of this technology, TCAS, was designed indigenously. Work is being done with regard to this, and it has been rolled out nationwide. It has also been sanctioned in various railway lines, and we are expecting to have it installed by 2024."
- 3 Jun 2023 9:47 PM IST
When Railways Minister repeatedly says that our system is secure and any severe accident cannot happen then how this happened... Lal Bahadur Shastri had earlier resigned from his post in a train accident. We don't expect this from Prime Minister Modi's cabinet, but if he (Ashwini Vaishnaw) has a little bit of shame, he should resign: Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Odisha train tragedy.
#WATCH | MP: When Railways Minister repeatedly says that our system is secure and any severe accident cannot happen then how this happened... Lal Bahadur Shastri had earlier resigned from his post in a train accident. We don't expect this from PM Modi's cabinet, but if he… pic.twitter.com/EpHQAcxvM1
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 3, 2023 - 3 Jun 2023 9:45 PM IST
All airlines are advised to extend full support to facilitate bringing the remains of the deceased back to the states where they used to live: Ministry of Civil Aviation
- 3 Jun 2023 8:44 PM IST
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to visit AIIMS Bhubaneswar and Medical College in Cuttack tomorrow to take stock of medical assistance being provided to the injured victims of the Odisha train accident: Sources
