After a passenger train veered off the rails and collided with another one in the country’s east, authorities announced on Saturday that at least 261 people had perished in India’s worst rail tragedy in more than 20 years.
650 people were hurt when one train involved in the accident on Friday also struck a second freight train that was halted in the Odisha state district of Balasore.
S. Anand, South Eastern Railway’s chief public relations officer, reported that there had been 261 fatalities. An official’s statement that 288 persons had passed away was earlier reported by the AFP news agency.
Anubha Das, a passenger who is still alive, claimed he will never forget the incident. “Families crushed away, limbless bodies, and a bloodbath on the tracks,” he claimed.
As rescue teams searched the wrecked carriages for survivors to pluck out and bring them to the hospital, video footage showed derailed railway cars and broken lines.
At the location and the hospitals close by, people were seen looking for their relatives.
According to sources cited by ANI news agency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on his way to the incident. A witness reported that they had witnessed numerous fatalities.
Another rescue operation witness described the screams and wails of the injured and the loved ones of the deceased as unsettling. It was horrifying and agonizing, he said.
According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the badly injured would receive 200,000 rupees in compensation, while mild injuries will only receive 50,000 rupees, while families of the deceased will receive 1 million rupees ($12,000). Also announcing compensation are certain state governments.
Vaishnaw examined the accident scene before telling reporters, “It’s a terrible, tragic catastrophe. Our sole attention is on the rescue and relief effort, and we’re working to make sure the injured receive the greatest care. On Twitter, Odisha State Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena announced that more than 200 ambulances had been dispatched to the area and that 100 additional physicians had been mobilized to join the 80 who were already present.Police officers were seen removing white-clothed remains off the railroad lines early on Saturday morning in Reuters video.
Unknown man survivor said to NDTV news, “I was asleep.” I was awakened by the railway derailing noise. I suddenly noticed 10 to 15 dead persons. I was able to exit the coach, and as I did, I noticed numerous corpses that had been cut to pieces.
Rescuers could be seen on video from Friday scrambling up one of the derailed trains to look for survivors as passengers cried and yelled for aid next to the wreckage.
The Howrah Superfast Express from Bengaluru to Howrah in West Bengal and the Coromandel Express from Kolkata to Chennai collided on Friday at around 7 p.m. (1330 GMT).
Numerous firefighters, police officials, and sniffer dogs have all been deployed as part of a massive search and rescue operation. At the location were teams from the National Disaster Response Force.
A government hospital in Soro, Odisha, had hundreds of young people lined up in front of it on Friday to give blood.
Over 13 million people are transported daily, according to Indian Railways, thanks to its network. However, because of deteriorating infrastructure, the state-run monopoly has a spotty safety record.
As a gesture of respect for the victims, the state has proclaimed Saturday a day of national mourning.
A train fell off a bridge into a river in the state of Bihar in 1981, becoming India’s biggest railway tragedy with an estimated 800 fatalities.
