Three days following a tragic triple train collision in Odisha, which resulted in the loss of 275 lives, another train accident occurred on Monday in Bargarh district. A goods train transporting limestone from Dunguri to Bargarh derailed near Sambardhara at Mendhapali. No casualties have been reported in this incident.
The train derailment took place on a privately owned narrow-gauge railway line between Dungri limestone mines and Bargarh’s cement plant. The affected wagons, loco, and the railway line itself, are private property and are not part of the Indian Railway system.
In response to the incident, the East Coast Railway issued a statement: “Some wagons of a goods train operated by a private cement factory derailed inside the factory premises near Mendhapali of Bargarh district in Odisha. There is no role of Railways in this matter.” It added, “This is completely a narrow gauge siding of a private cement company. All the infrastructure including rolling stock, engine, wagons, train tracks (narrow gauge) are being maintained by the company.”
This derailment comes in the wake of one of India’s deadliest train accidents in Balasore district, Odisha. A horrifying sequence of collisions involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train. This incident occurred near the Bahanaga Bazar station, located roughly 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar.
The catastrophic event unfolded when the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, bound for Chennai, derailed and collided with a goods train on the adjacent track. The force of the collision led the Coromandel Express’s rear carriage to veer onto a third track, where the oncoming Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express crashed into the derailed coaches.
Thus far, the devastating accident has resulted in the loss of 275 lives. Additionally, more than 1,100 people are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals throughout the state. Local police have initiated an investigation into the recent derailment incident.