A government official revealed on Saturday that the death toll from the collision of passenger trains in the eastern Indian state of Odisha has risen to 288, with 850 others injured, marking the deadliest rail disaster in the country in over two decades. Odisha's secretary, Pradeep Jena, indicated that the death toll from the crash, which occurred on Friday, is expected to increase.
He added that more than 200 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene in the Balasore area of Odisha, along with 100 additional doctors, in addition to the 80 doctors already present. Video footage showed rescuers climbing the wreckage of one of the trains to search for survivors, while passengers, weeping next to the debris, were calling for help. A Reuters witness noted that bodies remain trapped in the mangled cars, and the rescue operation is ongoing, with the death count potentially increasing.
K.S. Anand, the chief public relations officer at South Eastern Railway, stated that an initial report suggests the incident occurred due to a signal failure. He explained, “The Coromandel Express was supposed to run on the main line, but the signal was given to it to go on the diversion line instead, colliding with a freight train that was already stopped there. Its coaches overturned onto the tracks, causing the Howrah Superfast Express to derail.”
Anubha Das, one of the survivors of the incident, remarked he would never forget what happened, saying, “Families were wiped out, bodies without limbs, and blood spattered on the railway.” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that the family of each victim will receive compensation of one million rupees (approximately $12,000), while those with serious injuries will receive 200,000 rupees, and those with minor injuries will get 50,000 rupees. Some state governments also announced compensations.
After inspecting the accident site, Vaishnaw told reporters, "This is a tragic major accident. Our entire focus is on rescue and relief operations, and we are ensuring that the injured receive the best possible treatment." A witness told Reuters over the phone, "I was at the accident scene and saw blood, broken ribs, and people dying around me."
The collision occurred at approximately 7:00 PM local time (1:30 PM GMT) on Friday when the Coromandel Express, traveling from Kolkata to Chennai, crashed into another passenger train, the Howrah Superfast Express. Authorities have provided conflicting accounts regarding which train derailed first, and no statements have yet been made about the potential causes of the incident.
A large-scale search and rescue operation is underway, involving hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and rescue dogs. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force are on-site.
Hundreds of young individuals lined up outside a government hospital in Soro, Odisha, on Friday to donate blood. According to Indian Railways, its network facilitates the movement of over 13 million people daily. However, Indian Railways has a fluctuating safety record due to its aging infrastructure.
The Chief Minister of Odisha has declared a day of official mourning on June 3, in a gesture of respect for the victims.
