A tragic day in the nation’s railway history was marked by a terrible train catastrophe in Odisha, one of the deadliest in India this century, which left at least 288 people dead and 900 more injured.
In the late-Friday disaster in Eastern Odisha’s Balasore district, a passenger train derailed before colliding with another on a nearby track. The two services that were involved in the accident, the Coromandel Express and the Howrah Superfast Express, wrecked havoc on the rail lines, and the death toll is anticipated to rise even further.
Pradeep Jena, the chief secretary of Odisha, stated that more than 200 ambulances had been sent to the crash scene to assist with emergency services. Furthermore, more than 100 doctors have been dispatched to help the hurt.
The director general of Odisha Fire Services, Sudhanshu Sarangi, stated that 288 people had died, making this incident India’s deadliest train accident this century.
The incident caused Prime Minister Narendra Modi sadness, and he said his thoughts were with the surviving families. He added in a subsequent tweet, “Rescue ops are under way at the site of the mishap and all possible assistance is being given to those affected.”
Amit Shah, the home minister, referred to the occurrence as “deeply agonising” in a show of solidarity.
The survivors recounted a chaotic and distressing sight. In the words of one male survivor, “10 to 15 people fell on me when the accident happened and everything went haywire.”