Odisha: 3 Trains Collide In India’s Worst Rail Accident, Killing Over 280 & Injuring 900

by Sanjana Shenoy
Odisha: 3 Trains Collide In India’s Worst Rail Accident, Killing Over 280 & Injuring 900

In an absolutely devastating accident, three trains — Coromandel Express passenger train, a Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express train and a freight train— crashed tragically near Balasore in Odisha, killing over 280 people and injuring 900. The entire nation is mourning India’s worst rail accident as rescue operations are being conducted.

3 Trains Crash Into Each Other In Odisha, Killing Over 280 Passengers

According to a Live Mint report, several coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express derailed in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday evening, around 7 pm. The derailed coaches fell on adjacent tracks. A Coromandel Express travelling from Shalimar to Chennai collided with the derailed coaches of the previous train. A freight train then collided with some of the capsized coaches of the Coromandel Express, causing a tragic 3-train pile-up in Odisha’s Balasore.

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This tragic incident killed over 280 people and injured over 900. Mangled coaches were strewn around, some coaches mounted atop the other. Some coaches even turned upside down due to the impact. The railway tracks were almost destroyed. Emergency crews worked the entire night and day to rescue more passengers trapped inside the derailed, almost destroyed coaches. The growing death toll continues to haunt Odisha.

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PM Modi Expressed Grief & Announced Compensation To Victims

This is India’s worst rail accident, and the emergency crew and even local residents are leaving no stone unturned to rescue victims and bring them to safety. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his grief and distress. He conveyed his thoughts were with bereaved families and blessed the injured to recover soon. He assured everyone that rescue operations are underway and that the injured shall receive all possible assistance.

PM Modi also announced an additional compensation of  ₹2 lakhs for the families of those who passed away. And also announced ₹50,000 from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to be given to those injured. Following this tragic incident, South Eastern Railway announced the cancellation, diversion and partial cancellation of 51 trains.

This 3-train pile-up is India’s worst railway accident since the 1990s. In 1981, a train derailed while travelling across a bridge in Bihar. It plunged into the river below and killed around 1000 people. This Friday incident, has the entire nation grieving for the lives lost and praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Cover Image Courtesy: @azaz_mogal/ Twitter