Odisha: Nearly 290 dead in India's worst train accident
At least 288 individuals died, and 900 others were injured after three trains collided in Odisha on Friday night in one of the worst train accidents in recent history. A goods train and two passenger trains collided in the state's Balasore, according to Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena. The death toll is expected to rise further as rescue and relief operations are underway.
Odisha CM orders free medical treatment for victims
Jena further informed that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered free medical treatment to all the victims at the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) facility hospitals and other private hospitals. Currently, seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), five Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and 24 fire services personnel have been deployed for rescue operations at the incident spot.
Latest visuals from Odisha's Balasore
Jena thanks blood donors amid emergency
Thanking volunteers for donating blood to the victims of the accident, the chief secretary posted on Twitter, "Five hundred units of blood collected overnight here at Balasore. Nine hundred units in stock at present." "This will help in treating the accident victims. I'm personally indebted & grateful to all the volunteers who've donated blood for a noble cause," added Jena.
Odisha CM announces one-day state mourning
Meanwhile, the Odisha CM also declared one-day state mourning on Saturday following the horrible triple train accident. "Important Announcement: In view of tragic rail accident at Bahanaga, Hon'ble Chief Minister Sri Naveen Patnaik has ordered for State Mourning for a day. Hence no State celebration to take place on 3rd June throughout the state," tweeted the Information and Public Relations Department of Odisha.
Union Railways Minister orders high-level probe
Union Railways Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Vaishnaw has reportedly ordered a high-level inquiry to find the cause of the triple train accident. "I have given out an order to conduct a high-level probe to find out why this accident happened," he said. "It is important to get to the root cause," Vaishnaw was quoted as saying by ANI.
Railways spokesperson provides further details
As per Railway Spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the collision happened at around 7pm on Friday. "Around 7pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Balasore and fell on the opposite track," Sharma said. "After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah dashed into those derailed coaches resulting in the derailment of its 3-4 coaches," he added.
