Odisha train crash live: 'Balasore Collector confirms death toll as 288'
The train crash happened near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.
CHENNAI: In one of the worst railway disasters in India, at least 288 people were killed and more than 1,100 injured when three trains collided one after another in a horrific sequence in Odisha's Balasore district, setting off a massive rescue and evacuation process, officials said on Saturday.
The train crash happened near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.
The inquiry into the train accident will be led by A M Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety, South East Circle, the Indian Railways said in a statement.
Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, on the way to Howrah, derailed and fell on adjacent tracks, an official said.
"These derailed coaches collided with the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and its coaches capsized too," he said.
A goods train was also involved in the accident as some of the coaches of the Coromandel Express, which was heading to Chennai, hit its wagons after getting derailed, he added.
Locals said they heard consecutive loud sounds, following which they rushed to the spot and found the derailed coaches, which were nothing but "a mangled heap of steel".
More than 2,000 people gathered at the Balasore Medical College and Hospital in the night to help the injured, and many also donated blood.
The railways announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh for those grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for those who got minor injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too expressed his distress over the accident, and announced an additional ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Live Updates
6 Jun 2023 2:18 PM GMT"State government will be providing an ambulance for those who want to transfer bodies through the road. We will be bearing all costs for the transfer of bodies & we have arrangements for those transferring bodies via railways. We will be doing DNA sampling for the unidentified bodies. The State government is working with the aim to avoid causing any inconvenience to the affected families," says Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena.
- 6 Jun 2023 2:17 PM GMT
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and West Bengal Government set up helpdesks at AIIMS Bhubaneswar for people looking for their kin.
- 6 Jun 2023 2:12 PM GMT
"The relatives of people who were injured in the triple train accident are being compelled to come to Netaji Indoor Stadium tomorrow because West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will deliver a speech there and hand over cheques to the injured and relatives of the deceased. It is shameful that they are being told to come to Kolkata. They have not even recovered from the trauma," says LoP West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari.
- 6 Jun 2023 2:09 PM GMT
"The collector of Balasore has confirmed the final figure of death as 288 after the reconciliation of district hospitals, mortuaries & reports from collectors of different districts. Over 205 bodies have been transferred," says Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena.
- 6 Jun 2023 2:06 PM GMT
CBI has registered a case on the request of the Ministry of Railways, consent of the Odisha Government & further orders from DoPT(Govt. of India) relating to Balasore train accident: CBI
- 6 Jun 2023 1:57 PM GMT
"So many people have died, the truth must come out," says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
- 6 Jun 2023 1:55 PM GMT
"Odisha and West Bengal govt are working together. They are providing free treatment. 103 bodies belonging to West Bengal have been identified and 97 people are under treatment and 31 are missing," says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
- 6 Jun 2023 9:17 AM GMT
“I don’t think this is CBI’s job; these answers need to be given by the present-day elected government,” says Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on the CBI probe into the Odisha train tragedy.
- 6 Jun 2023 9:15 AM GMT
“BJP government had said that the trains have ‘kavach’, but where did that ‘kavach’ go in Odisha,” says Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.
