June 02, 2023 10:01 pm | Updated June 03, 2023 11:39 am IST
Locals gather after the Coromandel Express derails after hitting a goods train near Bahanaga station in Balasore. | Photo Credit: ANI
At least 238 persons were feared dead and more than 900 injured in a major rail accident involving two express trains and a goods train in Balasore district of Odisha on Friday evening.
The accident took place at around 7 p.m. when two coaches of 12864 (SMVB-HWH) Yashwantpur-Howrah Express derailed near Bahanaga Railway station in Balasore district. The derailed coaches tossed over to the adjoining track and hit the speeding 12841 Coromandel Express coming from the opposite direction. It led to derailment of about 17 bogies.
A railway official said that several coaches of 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express travelling to Howrah derailed at Bahanagabazar and fell on the up-line. “These derailed coaches collided with 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and its coaches capsized too,” he said.
A goods train was also involved in the accident as the coaches of the Coromandel Express hit its wagons after getting derailed, the official said.
The rail accident is being described as one of the worst in recent times. In 2013, the Coramandel Express had met with an accident in Jajpur district of Odisha which is about 50 km away from the present accident site.
The State government has mobilised rescue teams from adjoining districts, while Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has solicited the help of the Air Force in the rescue operations.
Injured passengers were taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared one-day State mourning on Saturday in view of the tragic rail accident.
The Odisha government has issued the helpline 06782-262286. The railway helplines are 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore) and 044- 25330952 (Chennai).
Southern Railway has set up a round-the-clock helpline and control office at Chennai. A press release said, commuters and relatives could contact the helpline and control office at 044-25330952, 044-25330953, and 044-25354771.
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Efforts are underway to cut the only bogie left which was severely damaged after the horrific train accident in Odisha’s Balasore, state Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said on Saturday, June 3, 2023.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared one-day State mourning on Saturday in view of the tragic rail accident in Bahanaga that killed at least 233 people and injured around 900.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has adjourned all its programmes, scheduled for Saturday, June 3, 2023 related to the Modi government’s ninth anniversary in the wake of the tragic train accident in Balasore which has left 233 people dead so far. Party president J.P. Nadda posted a tweet to this effect and expressed his pain at the devastating accident.
At least 233 people are feared dead and over 900 people injured in a major rail accident involving two express trains — Yashwantpur-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express — and a goods train in Balasore district of Odisha on June 2 evening.
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 p.m., prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.
The inquiry into the train accident will be led by A.M. Chowdhary, Commissioner Railway Safety, South East Circle, the Indian Railways said in a statement. The Commissioner Railway Safety comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announces one-day state mourning on Saturday in view of train tragedy in Balasore district. - PTI
Buses have been arranged for the stranded passengers in both Balasore and Bhadrak directions. Special trains will also run between Bhadrak-Chennai and Balasore-Howrah for the stranded passengers. - @dawalelo reports.
Accident Relief trains with medical equipment and doctors have rushed to the site from Kharagpur and Bhadrak. Injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro. - @dawalelo reports.
Coromandel affected coaches - parcel, two general class, sleeper S1 to S5, B4, B5 - @satyabarik reports
Over 900 feared injured after the Coromandel Express derailed after hitting a goods train near Bahanaga station in Balasore on Friday. 📸: ANI
TMC demanded Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s resignation over the horrific triple train crash in neighbouring Odisha. TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the Centre neglected the installation of anti-collision devices in trains to prevent such accidents.
Latest report from @SRC_Odisha from the accident site puts the figure at 207. tweeted Pradeep Jena, Chief Secretary of Odisha.
The dead and injured were sent to many nearby hospitals. One of them is the Soro Hospital in Balasore district. - @satyabarik reports
📸: Biswaranjan Rout
Due to the accident, many trains have been cancelled or diverted to a different route.
On Friday evening, at least 70 persons were feared dead and more than 350 injured in a major rail accident involving two express trains and a goods train in Balasore district of Odisha.
Expressing distress over the train accident in Odisha, PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Three NDRF teams are working at the triple train crash site in Odisha’s Balasore district while six more are being rushed to the spot, officials said. - PTI
📸: PTI
Ambulances rushed on the highway towards Balasore to rescue the victims of the major rail accident involving two express trains and a goods train. 📸 : Biswaranajn Rout
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who also belongs to Odisha has extended his condolences and has left for Balasore district following a horrific triple train crash.
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announces ex-gratia compensation of ₹10 Lakh in case of death, ₹2 Lakh towards grievous and ₹50,000 for minor injuries.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik extended his condolences
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi expressed sadness over the train tragedy in Odisha and urged party workers and leaders to extend all support needed for rescue efforts.
Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin extended his condolences to the victims of the accident.
Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin spoke to his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik following the accident and announced that he was deputing a four-member panel to coordinate the rescue of Tamils on the train. - PTI
The ceremony to flag off the inaugural Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express at Madgaon station has been cancelled in the wake of the accident involving three trains in Odisha. - PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended his condolences
The Odisha government has issued helpline number 06782-262286.
The railway helplines are: 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore) and 044- 25330952 (Chennai).
Helpline numbers set up by SWR at
Bangalore 080-22356409
Bangarpet: 08153 255253
Kuppam : 8431403419
SMVB : 09606005129
KJM :+91 88612 03980
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is heading to the train accident site in Odish’s Balasore where at least 50 passengers are feared dead
At least 179 people were injured and around 50 others were feared dead as several coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday evening, following which it collided head-on with another train on the other line, officials said.
“We are sending a 5-6 members team to the spot to cooperate with the Odisha government and railway authorities and to assist rescue operations,” West Bengal CM said.
At around 7 p.m., 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
A major train accident involving Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express in Balasore district of Odisha took place on June 2
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