At least 207 people were killed and 900 injured when two passenger trains collided in Odisha on Friday, according to government officials in the eastern Indian state, in India’s deadliest rail accident in over a decade.
The death toll is expected to increase, state Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said in a tweet.
Sudhanshu Sarangi, the director general of the fire department in Odisha, told Reuters that 207 bodies had been recovered so far.
Images from the scene showed rescuers climbing up the mangled wreck of one of the trains to find survivors. Videos shared on social media showed the arrival of several ambulances and people being pulled out of the upturned train coaches.
“I was there at the site and I can see blood, broken limbs and people dying around me,” an eyewitness told Reuters by phone.