Rescuers were seen on camera attempting to extract victims from the wreckage. Image source: REUTERS
Reports indicate that the collision involving multiple trains has resulted in the loss of over 120 lives and left around 850 people injured.
The scale of this accident is deeply distressing, and my condolences go out to the victims’ families and the affected communities during this difficult time.
It is essential for authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the causes of the collision and to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
According to Pradeep Jena, the chief secretary of Odisha, over 200 ambulances were dispatched to the location in Balasore district.
Late on Friday, it is believed that one passenger train derailed and was subsequently hit by another train on the neighboring track.
The Indian Railways confirmed that the Coromandel Express and the Howrah Superfast Express were the two services involved in the incident.
Sudhanshu Sarangi, an official from Odisha Fire Services, addressed the media at the crash site and reported the recovery of more than 120 deceased individuals.
According to the official, the number of casualties “may increase as we complete the process” of examining the overturned train carriages.
Earlier, Pradeep Jena had reported approximately 850 injuries, and an additional 100 medical personnel have been dispatched to the scene.
He highlighted that the rescue operation was currently in full swing.
The incident has deeply saddened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
In a tweet, he stated, “Rescue operations are underway at the accident site, and all necessary assistance is being provided to those affected.”
Amit Shah, the home minister, expressed his profound sorrow over the incident, describing it as a deeply distressing event.
A male survivor claimed that he was buried under a group of 10 to 15 individuals when the accident happened, and that chaos then broke out.
He suffered injuries to the back of his neck and his hand. He saw many people with serious injuries when he got off the train.
According to information given to the Indian news agency ANI, some had lost limbs and others had deformed faces.
The Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express incident is thought to have happened about 19:00 local time (13:30 GMT) when many cars derailed, some of which wound up on the opposite track.
The Howrah Superfast Express then crashed into the upside-down carriages as it was making its way from Yesvantpur to Howrah.
A stationary freight train was reportedly involved in the incident, according to Indian officials, although they did not disclose any other details.
Several survivors were seen acting bravely and compassionately by going to help those who were still caught in the debris.
Local bus companies contributed to the cause by helping transport injured customers.
The likelihood that more people may die is a source of concern.
India, which has one of the largest railway networks in the world, nonetheless has frequent train accidents in spite of enormous investments made by succeeding administrations to improve the infrastructure.
