Horrific Triple Train Accident: Death Toll Reaches 261, Informs SE Railway

Bhubaneswar: The death toll in the tragic triple train accident in Balasore district of Odisha has reached 261, informed South Eastern Railway.

As per the information received till now, there are 261 casualties, claimed SE Railway officials.  Injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak, Soro and Cuttack. Over 650 persons were injured in this major train accident in Indian history.

Narendra Singh Bundela, IG operation, of NDRF said 17 coaches suffered extensive damage, but fortunately, rescue and relief operation was launched very fast due to easy accessibility to the accident site situated near the station.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up a high level meeting of railway officials to review the situation. He will visit the accident site and hospitals where the injured are being treated on Saturday.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has declared to appoint a high-level committee to investigate the train accident.

This train accident said to be one of the most deadliest in the country involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train.

Three NDRF units, 4 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force units, over 15 fire rescue teams, 30 doctors, 200 police personnel and 60 ambulances were mobilised to the site for the rescue operations.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared one-day state mourning in view of the horrific train crash.

The Railway Minister visited the accident site on Saturday morning to take stock of the situation. Railway minister Vaishnaw has announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for those who killed in the accident, Rs 2 lakh for those seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for those who sustained minor injuries in the accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too expressed his distress over the accident, and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the family of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

Around 18 long-distance trains have been cancelled due to the accident, which happened on the Howrah-Chennai main line in the Kharagpur division of the South Eastern Railway.