At least 50 people were killed and 300 hospitalised in India after a passenger train derailed and collided with a goods train in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday, according to media reports.
Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah superfast express, headed to Howrah, reportedly derailed at Bahanagabazar and fell on the upward line.
Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, tweeted on Friday that rescue efforts were underway at the scene and that people in need were receiving “all possible assistance.”
According to a PTI reporter who was on the scene, multiple individuals were reportedly trapped under the derailed coaches. Locals were helping rescuers from the emergency services, but it was dark and difficult to work.
According to Chief Secretary of Odisha Pradeep Jena, 47 people were admitted to the Balasore Medical College and Hospital, while 132 injured people were treated at Soro, Gopalpur, and Khantapada health centres.
West Bengal’s chief secretary, H K Dwivedi, called the incident a “grave accident” and told reporters as much. Officials from South Eastern Railway, who did not want their names named the incident “heavy casualties” without specifying how many people would die.
Numerous passengers were still trapped after the Coromandel Express, which travels between Kolkata and Chennai, derailed and crashed on the opposing track.
“I cannot comment on the details right now and casualty figures. I was in Delhi and rushing to the accident site,” Archana Joshi, general manager for South Eastern Railways, told Reuters.
