Three Trains, More Than 230 Dead And 900 Injured - Here Is What Happened In Odisha's Balasore
The entire nation is still reeling from the shock caused by one of the worst train accidents in recent memory in India, which has claimed over 230 lives in Odisha.
The train crash, the fourth deadliest in India according to available records, 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.
Here is what happened?
It is still unclear exactly how the mishap that involved multiple passenger trains and a goods train happened.
Initial reports suggest that Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Bahanaga station in Odisha's Balasore after hitting a goods train triggering the chain of events.
Some of the derailed coaches fell onto an adjacent track, on which train number 12864, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, which was on the way to Howrah, was travelling, resulting in some of them overturning.
"Around 7 pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Baleswar and fell on the opposite track. After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah dashed into those derailed coaches resulting in the derailment of its 3-4 coaches," Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma said.
Did signalling error cause the accident?
There are some reports that a glitch in the signalling system of the railways caused two trains to be on the same track, which purportedly led to the crash.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, also?from Odisha, reached the accident spot on Saturday, took stock of the situation, and assured to conduct a detailed high-level inquiry into the mishap.
"A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry," Vaishnaw said.
The inquiry into the train accident will be led by AM Chowdhary, Commissioner Railway Safety, South East Circle, the Indian Railways said in a statement.
Rescue team worked all night
Earlier, rescue workers from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Fire Service worked through the night, wielding gas torches and electric cutters to pull out survivors and the dead from the mangled steel of three trains.
According to Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena, the search for survivors and bodies will be completed in the morning.
What survivors said
Some of those who were injured in the mishap recalled the horror.
"I was sleeping when the accident happened. The coach was crowded and people were falling on each other after the accident. I suffered injuries on my hands and neck," a survivor said.
A group of passengers who were on one of the derailed coaches of Coromandel Express said they broke the emergency exit to get out.
Helpline for?Balasore?
The Odisha government issued helpline 06782-262286. The railway helplines are 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore) and 044- 25330952 (Chennai).
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