Odisha train crash live: 'Balasore Collector confirms death toll as 288'

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).

I am deeply saddened by the horrific train accident that took place in Balasore, Odisha. In view of the horrific train accident, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has postponed all its programs across the country today: BJP national president JP Nadda

"So far around 900 passengers have been injured & are being treated in various hospitals in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Jajpur & Cuttack districts. So far, 233 dead bodies have been recovered. The search & rescue operation is going on. One bogie which is severely damaged is left; NDRF, ODRAF & Fire Service are still working to cut the bogie & try to recover the living or the dead..," says Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan cuts short his visit to Kolkata in West Bengal and leaves for Balasore in Odisha. He is expected to reach the spot in a few hours. 

 "Our 6 teams are working here since last night. Our dog squad, and medical team are also engaged in the rescue operation," says Jacob Kispotta, Senior Commandant, NDRF

 It's a big tragic accident. Railway, NDRF, SDRF, and State govt are conducting the rescue operation. Best possible healthcare facilities will be provided. Compensation was announced yesterday. A high-level committee has been formed to inquire about it: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from district administration. A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry.

Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from district administration. A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin declares one-day state mourning following the Balasore Train Accident in Odisha which claimed 233 lives and left 900 injured. 

The site of the horrific Balasore train accident in Odisha where a collision between three trains left 233 dead & around 900 injured. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is taking stock of the situation at the spot as search & rescue operation continues.

An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakhs has been announced for the kins of the deceased; Rs 2 lakhs for those with grievous injuries & Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.

The identified bodies are either being handed over to their relatives or transported to their respective destinations after autopsy. Statutory procedure will be followed for the unidentified ones: Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik arrives at the accident spot in Balasore where a collision between three trains left 233 dead & around 900 injured.

CM Stalin arrives at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Chennai where state govt officials are monitoring the Balasore train accident situation.

7 NDRF, 5 ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) & 24 Fire Service Units, local police, and volunteers are working tirelessly in search and rescue: Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena

Heartfelt and deepest condolences to the people of India and the families of the victims of the train accident in Odisha: Embassy of Italy in New Delhi

As per the information received till now, there are 238 casualties. Around 650 injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro: South Eastern Railway

Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia has been announced to the families of the Train accident victims and Rs 1 lakh for the injured from TN by the State government

CM Stalin takes stock of the situation at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Chennai

IAS, IPS officers and DROs have been sent from here. They will camp there for the next four days to help Tamil Nadu people stranded there. ADGP Railway police, Sandeep Mittal has been deputed to Odisha. 

A special train is being operated from there to help stranded people return to Tamil Nadu.

The train accident in Odisha is unfortunate. We are talking to the railway officials and collecting the details of the victims from Andhra Pradesh. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray to God to give them peace of mind: Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Indian Army has been deployed to assist in the evacuation and treatment of injured citizens. Army medical and engineering teams with ambulances & support services have been deployed from the Eastern Command. The teams have been routed from multiple bases so as to reach the place of the incident as early as possible: Indian Army

MoS Railways Raosaheb Patil Danve speaks on Balasore train accident in Odisha; says, "...After the accident, our Minister reached Odisha and took stock of the situation at the spot. NDRF & Army were called to the spot. Local administration, Railway administration & locals are extending all help. The injured & dead have been taken to nearby hospitals. Rescue operation is underway...High-level committee has been announced by the rail administration to find out if this happened due to human error or technical reasons..."

People are coming voluntarily to donate blood. I am getting requests from many places so it is a good sign. Since the accident till now, the local people have been providing a lot of assistance to our rescue professionals: Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened a meeting to review the situation in relation to the rail accident: Govt of India Sources

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to visit Odisha's Balasore today to take stock of the situation and meet the injured.

Foreign Ministers of Australia and Sri Lanka on Saturday condoled the loss of lives in the Odisha triple train mishap in Balasore that claimed 238 people and injured over 900.

NCP MP Supriya Sule says, "Very painful morning to wake up to. We have lost many lives this morning in a very unfortunate train accident. I would request the Railways and the state authorities to intervene & help every person who is hurt...I would request the Railway Ministry & Govt of India to set up a high-powered committee to find out why this accident has happened..."

NDRF DG Atul Karwal speaks on #BalasoreTrainAccident; says, "It's a very tragic incident, it's a huge loss of lives...Nine teams of NDRF - more than 300 rescuers - are working in coordination with SDRF & other agencies. This is the third such major incident in our history. The force with which the three trains collided with each other resulted in several coaches getting crushed & being in a mangled condition there. It is a challenge to cut through them & get inside to ensure that the live victims are not affected..."

The Vellore district administration has opened a control room in the Vellore Collector's office to provide any information to relatives of passengers who were travelling in Chennai bound Coromandel express that met with an accident at Balasore, Odisha on Friday. The control room numbers are 1077, 0416-2258016 (landline) and 93840-56214 (mobile).

 "I donated blood, my friends also donated the blood. I pray that everyone goes to their homes safely," says Vibhuti Sharan, a local

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik says, "...extremely tragic train accident...I have to thank the local teams, local people & others who have worked overnight to save people from the wreckage...Railway safety should always be given the first preference...The people have been taken to hospitals in Balasore and Cuttack so that they recover as fast as possible."

As of now, more than 100 people have claimed ex-gratia payments. Counters for the same have been set up at three places-Balasore, Soro and Bahanaga Bazar...As of now 48 trains cancelled, 39 diverted and 10 short-terminated: Amitabh Sharma, Executive Director, Information Publication Railway Board

PM Narendra Modi will go to Odisha today. First, he will visit the site of the accident in Balasore and then he will visit the hospital in Cuttack: Sources

Former Railway Minister & BJP leader Dinesh Trivedi speaks on #BalasoreTrainAccident; says "This is a great tragedy. Our heart really goes out to the bereaved families. I think the priority has to be to save as many lives as possible...This is not the time for politics. Nobody can do politics over dead bodies..."

Rescue operations have been completed, all trapped have been rescued. Repairing works of tracks begin.

A family of three, who was travelling in one of the trains that were involved in #BalasoreTrainAccident, survived the accident & returned to their home in Malubasan village in Mahisadal, Purba Medinipur of West Bengal.

Subroto Pal, one of them, says, "We left for Chennai from Kharagpur station yesterday. After Balasore station, the train felt a jolt. Then we saw the compartment filling with smoke. I could not see anyone. The local people came to my aid & they pulled me out of the wreckage..."

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan arrives at the accident site in Odisha's Balasore where a collision between three trains left 238 dead & around 900 injured.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel spoke to Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik over phone & discussed the train accident. Expressing his deepest condolences for the victims of the accident, he offered to provide all kinds of assistance for the rescue and treatment of the injured. Chief Minister Patnaik thanked the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh: Odisha CMO

"Two teams of doctors from AIIMS Bhubaneswar have been dispatched for Balasore & Cuttack to assist in relief operations at the rail accident site in Odisha..," tweets Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

"This is a tragic incident that has happened ...The govt should increase the amount of compensation for those who died or are injured. A high-level investigation should be conducted into the incident," says former railway minister and Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal

We've opened 2 control rooms. Our objective is to facilitate the people. We're in touch with Odisha control room, and Railways officials. A train will leave in the evening carrying relatives of the injured to the accident site: V Ponram, SP, Tamil Nadu police on Balasore train accident

"...My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims..," tweets UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweets

As per the information received till now, there are 261 casualties. Injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro: South Eastern Railway

The train accident in Balasore, Odisha is very heartbreaking. My condolences go out to the bereaved families in this hour of grief. I pray to God for speedy recovery of the injured. In view of this tragedy, I have postponed all my public programs today, including the program planned today to mark the completion of 9 years of the central government: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel 

I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of many precious lives and the injuries in the train accident in the State of Odisha. On behalf of the Government of Japan and people, I would like to express our heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives and their bereaved families. I also pray for the speedy recovery of those who were injured: Message of condolences from Japanese PM Fumio Kishida to PM Narendra Modi

"This is a very tragic incident. Our govt will conduct a detailed investigation of the case. Railways Minister is present at the site and PM Modi will also soon reach there to review the situation. We are with the families of the victims," says CT Ravi, BJP National General Secretary

PM Narendra Modi is leaving for Odisha where he will review the situation in the wake of the train mishap: PMO

There is a very huge response from the youth. Hundreds of people donated blood. More than 3000 units of blood collected since last night in Cuttack, Balasore and Bhadrak. We've also donated to CM and PM relief funds: Dr Jayant Panda, SCB Medical College, Cuttack on Balasore train accident

This is a very horrific accident. The management will surely conduct investigation into the case," says Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar

We sent 40 ambulances yesterday and 70 today. 40 of our doctors have reached here and they are working: West Bengal CM and former Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee at the site

"Railway provides Rs 10 Lakhs as compensation. We will provide Rs 5 Lakhs each to the people of our state and cooperate and work with the Railways and Odisha Government until the work is complete," says West Bengal CM and former Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee after visiting the site of Balasore train accident in Odisha 

At the site of Balasore train accident, West Bengal CM and former Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee says, "Coromandel is one of the best express trains. I was the Railway Minister thrice. From what I saw, this is the biggest railway accident of the 21st century. Such cases are handed over to Railway's safety commission & they investigate and give a report...There was no anti-collision device on the train, as far as I know. Had the device been on the train, this would not have happened...The dead can't be brought back but now our work is rescue operation & restoration of normalcy"

Former MoS Railways and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says, "Several people died in this heart-rending accident...I have always urged that the basic infrastructure should be given priority. Due to bullet trains, more investment is made into it. They keep talking about Vande Bharat but every day 25 lakh people travel on trains. If attention is not paid to it, it is the biggest mistake...Tall claims are made about anti-collision devices but where is it? Three trains met with the accident..."

Türkiye extends its condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives in #BalasoreTrainAccident as well as to people and Government of India and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

 I am most pained and anguished by the terrible train disaster in Odisha. I extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to all the bereaved families: Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, Congress Parliamentary Party

 "I have never seen such a horrific incident earlier. I was going to Chennai from Bihar. I have not informed my family yet," says one of the survivors of the Balasore train accident

"I was going to Chennai from Bihar. I was in S3. The compartment was derailed after the collision. The management safely rescued us and we have reached Howarah," says one of the survivors of the Balasore train accident

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deadly train collision in the Indian state of Odisha: Russian Embassy in India

“We share the grief of those who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident and wish a speedy recovery for those injured," reads the message

A meeting between Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena, along with State Government officials, and Tamil Nadu Police officials is underway at Special Relief Commissioner's office

West Bengal government announces a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs each for the next of kin of those people from the state who died in the accident. Rs 1 Lakh each announced for those with serious injuries and Rs 50,000 each for those with minor injuries: West Bengal CMO 

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has deputed a team led by Minister Santosh Lad to ensure the safety of Kannadigas in the #BalasoreTrainAccident. The Chief Minister has sought reports from the Chief Secretary and has directed the concerned officers to visit the spot to ensure the safety of Kannadigas and provide all necessary support to them: Karnataka CMO 

The Coromandal Express train met with an accident and dashed with stationery goods train at Bahanaga Bazar station. The train was going at full speed as it was not supposed to stop at the station. The impact was such that its 21 coaches derailed with its 3 coaches infringing on the other line (Dn line). Simultaneously, Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express was passing through Bahanaga Bazar station and collided, with its rearmost 2 coaches derailed: Govt Sources

"...We have not got any report of anybody from Tamil Nadu in the identified dead bodies till now. There are a large number of unidentified for which the Railway is running a train from Chennai in the evening. Any family member of passengers who are not in touch with them can take the train and come here to Bhadrak..," says Kumar Jayant, Tamil Nadu Principal Secretary- Revenue and Disaster Management, on #BalasoreTrainAccident

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has deputed Lok Sabha Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and AICC In-Charge A Chella Kumar to immediately visit the train crash site in Odisha to take stock of the situation and oversee relief efforts being undertaken by INC workers and frontal organisations: Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal

I express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the Odisha train accident and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. The people of India are in our thoughts in this time of sorrow. Europe mourns with you: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

"Deeply saddened by the loss of hundreds of lives in a train accident in India..," tweets Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

The news of the terrible train accident is heart-rending. Such a terrible accident has never happened before. There is no information so far on the death of any Kannadiga. The railway ministry should say who made this mistake. We have sent our minister Santosh Lad to the accident spot. He will get the information and give further details. May the departed souls rest in peace: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

As of 4:30 PM today, 31 casualties from West Bengal have been reported and identified so far. 544 persons were injured. 25 persons from West Bengal are admitted to hospitals in Odisha and 11 persons in West Bengal: WB Govt

Photos of those killed and injured in the Odisha train accident have been uploaded on the website -- ser.indianrailways.gov.in.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation sends an advisory to airlines to monitor any abnormal surge in airfares to and from Bhubaneswar and other airports of Odisha in view of the Odisha train mishap, says the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Further, any cancellation and rescheduling of flights due to the incident may be done without penal charges, MoCA issues advisory

Restoration work is underway at the Balasore train accident site as wreckage and mangled coaches of derailed trains are being moved away from the track. The death toll in the incident stands at 288 with 747 people injured along with 56 grievously injured so far.

"So far, a total of 58 trains stand cancelled, 81 were diverted & 10 were terminated. Work is underway in full swing, & restoration will be done soon; first, we will complete the restoration of the downline," says Amitabh Sharma, Spokesperson, Ministry of Railways on the Balasore train mishap.

Odisha train tragedy: Civil aviation ministry advises airlines not to levy penal charges for cancellation, rescheduling of air tickets

AAP slams Centre over train accident in Odisha, alleges Prime Minister Modi's entire focus is on "PR exercise and showing off" and not passengers' safety

"A 24-hour control room has been set up to monitor the relief activities for the Odisha train accident. A roundabout control room has been opened in Medinipur. The death toll rose from the Balasore train mishap. Helpline has been opened at Tamluk in east Medinipur. Some people are untraced, the search is on for the missing." says Rahul Pandey, SDPO.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to visit AIIMS Bhubaneswar and Medical College in Cuttack tomorrow to take stock of medical assistance being provided to the injured victims of the Odisha train accident: Sources

All airlines are advised to extend full support to facilitate bringing the remains of the deceased back to the states where they used to live: Ministry of Civil Aviation

Amitabh Sharma, Spokesperson, Ministry of Railways speaks on the anti-collision device and states, "Anti-collision device was an old technology used in Railways. It used to work with automatic brakes in locomotive proximity. However, if the driver crossed the red signal, then there were no automatic brakes. The enhanced version of this technology, TCAS, was designed indigenously. Work is being done with regard to this, and it has been rolled out nationwide. It has also been sanctioned in various railway lines, and we are expecting to have it installed by 2024."

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sand sculpture on Odisha train accident, with the message "Praying for speedy recovery of survivors", at Puri beach in Odisha on Saturday.

"Large number of passengers (who were travelling in the accident-hit trains) have already reached their homes after taking the compensation amount. Our objective is that trains can start operating in a normal way latest by Wednesday morning," says Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. 

"The restoration work has started. We have arranged proper lighting for hassle-free restoration work. The team is on the site...we are on the job and we are trying to restore as soon as possible," says Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, CPRO, South Eastern Railway.

"We have received a total of 193 patients, out of which, we have discharged 9 patients. For now, 7 patients are critical. The government has declared everything free of cost, from investigation to treatment," says Dr. Bhubana Nanda Moharana, Emergency Medical Officer of SCB Medical College.

The special train C P13671 EX-BBS-MAS carrying 250 passengers from Bhadrak has reached Chennai at around 5 am on Sunday.

"Our CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has given us instructions to help the injured in shifting the injured from one hospital to the other, a total of 10 ambulance vehicles have arrived here from Andhra Pradesh," says Nazeer, Srikakulam District Manager, (108) Ambulance Services, Andhra Pradesh

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reaches Bhubaneswar airport. He will visit AIIMS Bhubaneswar and Medical College in Cuttack to take stock of medical assistance being provided to the injured victims of the Odisha train accident.

A team of medical experts from AIIMS Delhi will also visit Odisha's train accident site along with medical equipment to provide treatment to more than 1,000 injured and 100 critical patients: Sources

Triple train accident: Injured passengers recall their harrowing experience

"All arrangements are being made after the incident. I am not saying that efforts are not being made but all this is being done after the incident. If this kind of readiness would have been shown before the incident, something like this would not have happened," says Former MoS Railways and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

"The root cause of this accident has been identified. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected the site yesterday. We will try to restore the track today. All bodies have been removed. Our target is to finish the restoration work by Wednesday morning so that trains can start running on this track," says Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

"NDRF, ODRF, and Railway teams have worked all night for the identification of the deceased and restoration of tracks. Union Health Minister has reached Odisha, he will visit hospitals and take stock of the situation. Many trains have been cancelled and diverted. We are working on the restoration of the tracks," says Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The commissioner of railway safety has investigated the matter and let the investigation report come but we have identified the cause of the incident and the people responsible for it... It happened due to a change in electronic interlocking. Right now our focus is on restoration, says Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

"It has nothing to do with Kavach. The reason is not what Mamata Banerjee said yesterday. This incident happened due to a change in electronic interlocking," Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw further adds.

"It is our responsibility to establish normalcy as early as possible. Restoration work is underway. Indian Railways is running free trains and logistic facilities are also being provided. The death toll has crossed 270. The inquiry for the cause is underway. We will take strict action against the persons responsible for this," says Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announces ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to kin of dead, Rs 1 lakh for injured.

A PIL has been filed in the SC seeking a probe into the Balasore train accident by an expert panel headed by a retired judge of the SC. PIL also seeks guidelines/directions for the implementation of the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System called KAVACH Protection System in Indian Railways with immediate effect to ensure public safety.

"We are investigating the cause of the incident, currently our focus is to provide the best possible treatment to the injured. Several people have lost their lives and I think the politicisation of such issues should not be done. The country needs to come together," says Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

"We don't look for political scores during human tragedy. Madhavrao Scindia, Nitish Kumar, and Lal Bahadur Shastri gave resignations on moral grounds. Railways Minister should take responsibility but Modi and morals travel in opposite directions: Congress

"I and Dharmendra Pradhan the patients at Bhadrak Hospital. Almost all patients are in contact with their families. Doctors and staff are providing proper treatment to the injured. Track restoration work is underway," says Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announces free bus services to Kolkata

"According to the preliminary findings, there has been some issue with the signalling. We are still waiting for the detailed report from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. Only Coromandal Express met with an accident. The train was at a speed of around 128 km/h", says Jaya Varma Sinha, Member of Operation and Business Development, Railway Board.

"Our State forensic science laboratory is also conducting DNA tests of all the bodies that are in mortuary", says Odisha Chief Secy Pradeep Jena.

The death toll is 275 and not 288. The data was checked by DM and it was found that some bodies have been counted twice, so the death toll has been revised to 275. Out of 275, 88 bodies have been identified. Out of 1,175 injured, 793 have been discharged after treatment. The figure will be updated around 2 pm: Odisha Chief Secy Pradeep Jena adds.

"The goods train did not get derailed. Since the goods train was carrying iron ores, the maximum damage of the impact was on Coromandel Express. This is the reason for a huge number of deaths and injuries. The derailed bogies of Coromandel Express came on the down line, and hit the last two bogies of Yashwantpur Express which was crossing at the speed of 126 km/h from down line," says Jaya Varma Sinha.

"Our helpline number 139 is available. This is not a call centre number, our senior officers are answering the calls and we are trying to connect as many people as possible. The family members of the injured or deceased can call us and we will make sure that they are able to meet them. We will take care of their journey and other expenses," says Jaya Varma Sinha.

"With restoration work underway, at least two railway lines are expected to be operational by 8pm today at the site. We expect that trains will start running at a low speed. Inquiry is underway, we are investigating all angles. Prima facie it appears to be an issue of signalling, but we cannot authenticate anything as of now: Jaya Varma Sinha.

"Not NIA, Ministry of Home Affairs is assisting us," says Jaya Varma Sinha.

"It's a big accident. This has happened due to negligence. Railways claim that safety is their priority but even after such a major accident, responsibility has not been fixed yet. Action should be taken against those responsible," says Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav.

Death toll in the Odisha train tragedy revised to 275 after factoring out some 'double countings'.

"Safety is the top priority for Railways. We are making sure that the evidence does not get tampered with and that any witness does not get affected. The driver of the train who sustained serious injuries said that the train moved forward only after it received a 'Green' signal. Neither did he jump any signal nor the train was overspeeding:," ssys Jaya Varma Sinha.

Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to pay ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakhs each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 5 lakhs each to those seriously injured and Rs 1 lakh each to those who sustained minor injuries, in addition to the financial help extended by the Centre: CMO

“On Feb 9, a senior Railway official wrote in a report that there is need to maintain the inter-locking system of signals but the government didn't take cognisance of the report,” claims Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil.

 “The accident took place as the ‘Kavach’ system wasn’t in place. The complete fault lies with the BJP government,” says Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya.

"The rescue operation is more or less complete. A total of 9 teams comprising around 300 rescuers are at the location right now," says DG NDRF Atul Karwal.

Odisha train crash: 2 missing TN passengers safe; another didn’t board

"Those injured in the Balasore train accident are receiving medical treatment in 5-6 hospitals in Odisha. All agencies including the State government, local administration met today to ensure proper treatment for the injured person," says Union Health Min Mandaviya in Cuttack.

"My prayer go to the many victims of the train accident that occurred two days ago (June 2) in India. I express my closeness to the injured and their families. May the Heavenly Father welcome the souls of the deceased into his kingdom," says Pope Francis.

Commissioner of Railway Safety of South Eastern Circle will hold a statutory enquiry on 5th and 6th June in the South Institute, Kharagpur, in connection with the derailment of 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express & 12864 SMVT Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express at Bahanaga Bazar station near Balasore in Odisha: Indian Railways

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge says Prime Minster Narendra Modi was busy flagging off trains while not paying attention to railway safety, calls for fixing accountability of all posts from top to bottom to prevent such accidents.

Both Up and Down lines (leading to Bhubaneswar & Howrah respectively) have been repaired: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

"This is a very unfortunate incident. The day it happened, we sent 150 ambulances, 50 doctors, nurses, buses, and disaster management teams to the accident site. We are fully supporting the Odisha government," says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

"62 people from West Bengal died in this accident. 206 people are being treated in the state. 73 people from the state are admitted to various hospitals in Odisha. While 56 people from West Bengal have been discharged from the hospitals in Odisha. 182 people are yet to be identified, says Mamata Banerjee.

UN chief António Guterres deeply saddened by the loss of life and injury in a train accident in Odisha: UN Spokesperson

"Those who (BJP led Central govt) can change history, can change any number. Instead of standing with people, they're abusing me, Nitishji, Laluji...How did a fire break out in a running train in Godhra (in 2002)?... So many people died, they should have atleast sought an apology", says Mamata Banerjee.Mamata Banerjee hits out at Centre on #OdishaTrainAccident

We have decided that the Adani group will take responsibility for the school education of the innocent people who have lost their parents in the Odisha train accident, announces Adani Group Chairperson Gautam Adani.

"Rescue was completed and restoration work is underway. Work-related to track is done and overhead wiring work is going on. Patients are being treated at hospitals," says Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Railway Board recommends the probe related to Odisha train accident to CBI, announces Railways minister Vaishnaw

"When yesterday he (Railways minister) was present with me and I mentioned about anti-collision device, why didn't he open his mouth? 'Dal mein kuch kaala hai', we want the truth to come out,," says Mamata Banerjee.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a conversation with EAM S Jaishankar over the telephone expressing his support and sympathy for the Odisha train accident.

Mamata asks whether the engines of Vande Bharat Express are fit for such trains after the Balasore train accident.

 "Yesterday, there was a confusion created by the figure of 288 by Railway. So far, there have been 275 deaths, there are some cases which were double counted. The number of injuries are 1,175 and many of them have been discharged already. Now, less than 300 are in the hospital," says Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena.

Day after Lalu Prasad blamed Balasore triple train crash on 'negligence' of railways by Narendra Modi govt, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad rakes up 'scams' during RJD chief's tenure as rail minister.

"We inspected the hospital where people are getting treatment after the train accident. We got to know that no Tamilians were admitted at the hospital. None of the Tamil Nadu passengers lost their lives there as of now, all are safe, says Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

"28 out of 127 people who had booked to travel by train were Tamils. Out of which 21 were found to be fine. Rest are also fine confirmed by people who are with them. This accident should not have happened, the Union Government should find out what caused this damage and take appropriate action," says Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

260 people, who were injured in Balasore train accident, undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Odisha, around 900 discharged: Health department officials

"All political parties must unite to help people," says Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

"Railways minister has recommended a CBI probe into Balasore train accident. Politics shouldn't be done at the moment, politicians must understand their responsibility," says Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

"The downline track is ready, major damages were in the upline track. In the next few hours, we are expecting to restore. All investigations will be done parallelly. The railway team is working continuously," says Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, Chief Public Relations Officer, Southeastern Railway.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama offers condolences. He wrote a letter to the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik on Saturday to tell him how deeply saddened he was to see reports of the tragic train collision that took place in Balasore.

"Both tracks have been restored. Within 51 hours the train movement has been normalised. Train movement will begin from now," Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

"Our goal is to make sure missing persons' family members can find them as soon as possible...our responsibility is not over yet", says Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Social media accounts giving communal colour to Odisha accident: Police

Union ministers visit injured at SCB Medical College and Hospital.

Death toll from West Bengal in the Odisha triple train tragedy has risen to 81.

"We visited all the hospitals in Odisha where patients have been admitted. We could not find anyone from Tamil Nadu. Of the 8 people (who were untraceable), 2 have been traced and are safe. We are unable to reach to 6 people but co-travellers said they are safe," says Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

"So far 151 bodies have been identified. All bodies after the due process are handed over for transfer to the destination. Arrangements for free transportation of the bodies by hearses/ dead body carriers till destination made by Odisha Government," says Chief Secretary, Odisha.

“It is beyond my understanding why this matter has been given to the CBI. Either they (government) explicitly say that there was sabotage, which they haven’t done yet,” says former Railway Minister Pawan Bansal on Railway Board's recommendation of CBI probe into Odisha train tragedy..

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pays last respects to those who lost their lives in the train accident.

"I will visit Cuttack & Bhubaneswar again. On Wednesday, we will hand over cheques of ex-gratia amount and job letters to families of the victims of the Odisha train accident," says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

"We will come to a conclusion on death toll today. We will bear all costs during process of identification of bodies & their transfer to destination, costs will be borne by CM fund," Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena.

Airlines have been advised to provide free carriage (cargo) services to the families of the deceased in the Odisha train accident: Ministry of Civil Aviation.

"Till normalcy returns in the train movement from Bhubaneswar, Puri & Cuttack railway stations for the stranded passengers, free bus services will be available to Kolkata," says Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena.

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announces State government jobs for next of kin of those killed in Balasore triple train crash.

"It took the NSG more than 10 hours to reach Mumbai in response to the dastardly 26/11 terrorist attack. First, our PM visited Balasore train accident site, 3 Union Ministers were there too. Within 51 hrs of accident, railway lines were restored: Union minister HS Puri on Congress demanding Railways minister's resignation.

Yesterday night the affected area was restored, and operations are normalising. Today it was our focus to reach out to the families of the passengers of the Odisha train tragedy across the nation. I appeal to people nationwide to reach out to us at our toll-free numbers so that further process continues: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Railway Board Chairman briefs PMO about triple train accident.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav return to Delhi after rescue operations and restoration of the railway line at the Balasore train accident site.

"Of the total 193 bodies kept in Bhubaneswar, 80 bodies have been identified. 55 bodies have been handed over to the relatives. More than 200 calls have been received on BMC's helpline number 1929. The dead bodies are being identified and handed over to the relatives," says Vijay Amrit Kulange, Commissioner, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.

"About 1,100 people were injured in the #BalasoreTrainAccident, out of which about 900 people were discharged after treatment. Around 200 people are being treated in various hospitals in the state. Out of 278 people who died in the accident, 101 bodies are yet to be identified, says DRM ECR Rinkesh Roy, Bhubaneswar.

"This incident (Odisha train accident) is TMC's conspiracy. Why have they been panicking so much since yesterday when this incident is of another State? Why are they afraid of CBI investigation? These people with the help of the police tapped the railway officials' phones. How did these people know the conversation between two railway officials? How the conversation got leaked. This should come in the CBI investigation. If it doesn't come, I will go to court, says West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.

"CBI team has reached the accident site in Balasore. Inquiry is being done," said Rinkesh Roy, Divisional Railway Manager, East Coast Railway.

CBI officials at the Balasore train accident site.

"NDRF responded swiftly and reached the Odisha train accident site at the earliest. This force has earned many accolades internationally also," says Ajay Mishra Teni, MoS Home.

"Forensic and CBI team is here. They are collecting the evidence and doing their investigation. Railway is providing assistance to them. All angles will be probed by CBI during the probe", says Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, CPRO, South Eastern Railway.

"The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) team is also working at multiple locations including Kharagpur, and Balasore. They are collecting all the information... Some fake news is being spread regarding the death of the loco pilot, the name of the station master. The Loco pilot is stable and is undergoing treatment in Bhubaneswar," says Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, CPRO, South Eastern Railway.

"Our team left for the spot within 10 minutes. Later we sent 8-9 teams. The community played a good role. People helped a lot. They served food to the people present on the train. They were providing water to our officials working there. I also came to know that 1000 people donated blood. So it was a good response from the people, says DG NDRF Atul Karwal.

"Railway Minister has taken all necessary steps to restore the damage that happened. He is working tirelessly. Let the inquiry be completed. The minister is doing his best and demanding his resignation at this stage is not wise," says JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister HD Devegowda.

“BJP government had said that the trains have ‘kavach’, but where did that ‘kavach’ go in Odisha,” says Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.

 “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.

"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.

 "So many people have died, the truth must come out," says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

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

"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.

"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.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and West Bengal Government set up helpdesks at AIIMS Bhubaneswar for people looking for their kin.