Odisha train mishap: Death toll rises to 233, rescue underway

Balasore: Officials said on Saturday that at least 233 people were killed and over 900 were injured when three trains collided one after the other in Odisha's Balasore district, triggering a massive rescue and evacuation operation.

"The death toll in the Balasore Train Accident has risen to 233," Odisha Chief Secretary P K Jena tweeted.

According to sources, the train crash occurred near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore around 7 p.m. on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order an investigation.

According to an Indian Railways statement, the investigation into the train accident will be led by A M Chowdhary, Commissioner Railway Safety, South East Circle. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is in charge of the Commissioner Railway Safety.

On the way to Howrah, several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express derailed and fell on adjacent tracks, according to an official.

"These derailed coaches collided with the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which capsized as well," he explained.

He added that a goods train was also involved in the accident, as some of the coaches of the Coromandel Express, which was heading to Chennai, collided with its wagons after becoming derailed.

The bodies were extracted from beneath the derailed coaches using gas cutters. "Some of the scenes at the site were too gory to describe," one witness said.

Railway tracks were almost destroyed at the spot as mangled coaches lay strewn all over, with some having mounted on another, while a few coaches turned turtle due to the impact.

Officials in Bhubaneswar said 115 ambulances, 50 buses and 45 mobile health units were working at the accident site, besides 1,200 personnel. The bodies were being taken to the hospitals in all kinds of vehicles, including tractors.

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”.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared one-day state mourning on Saturday in the wake of the deadly triple train crash.

State Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahoo said those injured in the accident were undergoing treatment in different hospitals.

All government and private hospitals in the surrounding districts, including the AIIMS in Bhubaneswar, have been placed on high alert.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was on her way to the scene, said the Air Force had also been called in to help with the rescue efforts.

"I'm rushing to the Odisha site. My prayers go out to the injured and my condolences go out to the bereaved families. Rescue teams from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata were dispatched. The NDRF, state government teams, and the Air Force were also called in. "Will take all hands needed for rescue operations," he tweeted.

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.

Chief Secretary Jena thanked the volunteers who donated blood to the accident victims in their hour of need.

“Five hundred units of blood collected overnight here at Balasore. Nine hundred units in stock at present. This will help in treating the accident victims. I’m personally indebted & grateful to all the volunteers who’ve donated blood for a noble cause,” Jena tweeted.

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).

“Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation. Rescue ops are underway at the site of the mishap and all possible assistance is being given to those affected,” he tweeted.

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

Expressing concern over the accident, in which a large number of people from West Bengal were involved, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was monitoring the situation along with the chief secretary and other officials.