Tragic Train Collision in Odisha's Balasore: 50 Dead, 350 Injured, Rescue Operations Underway

A devastating train accident involving three trains took place in the Balasore district of Odisha, leading to the unfortunate demise of around 50 individuals and causing more than 350 others to sustain injuries.

 

The incident occurred between the fast-moving Bengaluru-Howrah Express, the Coromandel Express from Shalimar to Chennai Central, and a cargo train.

 

At approximately 7 p.m. in the vicinity of Bahanaga Baazar, several wagons of the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express became derailed and collapsed onto nearby tracks. The Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express experienced a capsizing of approximately 10-12 of its coaches as a result of the accident involving the derailed coaches that collided with it.

 

The wagons of the goods train were impacted due to the collision with the derailed coaches. The incident occurred at a distance of roughly 255 kilometers from Howrah, and nearly 300 wounded people have been conveyed to nearby medical facilities.

 

The CPRO of South Eastern Railway reported that coach B1 and the engine of the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express derailed, whereas coaches B2 to B9, A1, and A2 overturned. Coach H1 and the coach of GS chose to stay on the sidelines.

 

Concerning the train from Bengaluru to Howrah, one general seating coach was harmed while on the tracks, and the back GS coach with two additional carriages derailed and flipped over.

 

The coaches from A1 remained on the railway track under the supervision of the engine.

 

The darkness of the area made it difficult for rescue missions, but both locals and emergency personnel were working together to save anyone trapped under the coaches that were derailed.

 

The Chief Secretary of Odisha, Pradeep Jena, expressed profound apologies for the incident, citing a casualty count of around 50 and more than 300 individuals wounded.

 

Throughout the night, the ODRAF and NDRF provided help together with 60 ambulances in ongoing rescue efforts. The surrounding areas were informed to arrange for available beds at private hospitals accredited by the Biju Swastya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) to cater to individuals injured in the accident.

 

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, responded promptly by personally traveling to the location and skillfully managing the collaboration of various rescue teams such as those from Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, the NDRF, state government teams, and the Airforce.

 

The well-being of the injured passengers has been highlighted as a primary concern by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He Inspected the State Emergency Operation Centre to evaluate the circumstances and intended to journey to the location of the incident.

 

The accident left Prime Minister Narendra Modi deeply saddened. As per sources, he held a conversation with Railway Minister Vaishnaw to obtain details. He provided reassurance to those impacted and expressed sympathy to the mourning relatives.

 

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