OdishaPlus Bureau
A massive train accident took place near Bahanaga railway station at Balasore in Odisha. The death and injury toll of the tragedy is lot more than previously anticipated and the numbers may change as bodies are feared to have been stuck inside the accident rubble as stated by Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena.
The dead bodies of the passengers have been kept at various hospitals of Balasore. The state government has prioritized treatment of the injured. Those who have sustained grievous injuries are being sent to various hospitals across the state. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw went to offer their support and check on the injured admitted at Balasore District HQ Hospital.
How Did The Tragedy Happen:
On Friday evening near Bahanaga railway station train no 12841 Coromandel Express from Howrah to Chennai crashed into a goods train. Since the train was travelling at a speed of 130 Km per hour, the severity of the accident has become unfathomable. Close to 17 coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed as a result of the collision. Few of the coaches derailed and landed on the nearby railway line.
At the same time, another train 12864 Yeswantpur Howrah Express clashed with the derailed coaches of Coromandel Express lying on it’s path. Numerous passengers of the train were crushed amid the collision.
The general coaches adjacent to the engine of the Coromandel express have been most affected as a result of the mishap. So severe was the impact that the bogies next to the engine were stuck inside the ground. On the other hand, the engine itself has been lodged on top of the goods train.
After news spread locally, various people from the vicinity reached the accident site and began primary rescue. Post this, local fire brigade, ODRAF and NDRF team reached the site and began expediting the rescue operation. The victims of the tragedy were shifted from the accident site to the Bahanaga Hospital and Balasore Medical College & Hospital. Over 50 Ambulances have been dedicated to ferry the injured from the site of accident to the hospitals.
Passengers who have lost their lives are being identified as of writing this report. The identified dead bodies are being handed over to the kin of the deceased. At the same time, efforts are on to treat the affected. Even the Indian Army has been engaged to help in the rescue effort.
Post this accident, all trains on the route have ben cancelled and re-routed to other lines. Union Railways Minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The probe will focus on how and why did such a big scale accident take place.