At least 50 people were killed and more than 350 injured as several coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday evening, following which it collided head-on with another train on the other line, news agency PTI reported citing officials.
Earlier, Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said that there have been casualties but that they have not yet been counted. “It was a particularly violent train, involving three trains: two passenger trains and one goods train,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
According to the Kharagpur Divisional Railway Manager, the Shalimar-Howrah Coromandel Express derailed at Bahanaga station around 6:51 pm, while the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast train derailed at the same location around 6:55 pm.
Rescue operations have been launched, and the injured are being transported to Balasore Medical College Hospital and other nearby hospitals.
According to a PTI report, several people were trapped beneath the derailed coaches, and locals were assisting emergency personnel in rescuing them, but the operation was hampered by darkness.
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakhs for accident victims who died, Rs 2 lakhs for those who suffered serious injuries, and Rs 50,000 for those who suffered minor injuries.
Ex-gratia compensation to the victims of this unfortunate train accident in Odisha;
₹10 Lakh in case of death,
₹2 Lakh towards grievous and ₹50,000 for minor injuries.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 2, 2023
READ | ’50 Ambulances Not Enough…’: Over 50 Feared Dead, 150 Injured In Coromandel Express Accident
Officials said four units of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), three units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and 60 ambulances were working to rescue the injured.
Odisha’s government has established a helpline at 06782-262286. 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore), and 044-25330952 (Chennai) are the railway helplines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the accident and spoke with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to assess the situation.
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…
Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 2, 2023
West Bengal Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi said the state would send a team to the site led by Minister Manas Bhunia and MP Dola Sen.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that she, along with the chief secretary and other officials, was personally monitoring the situation.
Shocked to know that the Shalimar- Coromondel express, carrying passengers from West Bengal, collided with a goods train near Balasore today evening and some of our outbound people have been seriously affected/ injured. We are coordinating with Odisha government and South…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 2, 2023