Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains that derailed in the Balasore district in India. Photo / Press Trust of India via AP
Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains that derailed in the Balasore district in India. Photo / Press Trust of India via AP
Two passenger trains have derailed in India, killing at least 207 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said.
About 900 people were injured in the accident, which happened in eastern India, about 220 kilometres southwest of Kolkata, officials said. The cause was under investigation.
One passenger train is thought to have derailed before being struck by another on the adjacent track late on Friday (local time), said Odisha’s chief secretary Pradeep Jena. About 850 were injured, and more than 100 additional doctors had been mobilised.
Speaking to reporters at the crash site, Odisha Fire Services official Sudhanshu Sarangi said: “We have now recovered more than 207 bodies.”
He warned that the figures “might go up as we complete the process” of checking the overturned carriages.
Death toll in the train accident increasing. Latest report from @SRC_Odisha from the accident site puts the figure at 207. No of Injured has been about 900. @CMO_Odisha@IPR_Odisha@RailMinIndia
Indian Railways said the two services involved were the Coromandel Express and the Howrah Superfast Express.
More than 200 ambulances were sent to the crash scene.
Ten to 12 coaches of one train derailed, and debris from some of the mangled coaches fell onto a nearby track, said Amitabh Sharma, a railroad ministry spokesperson.
The debris was hit by another passenger train coming from the opposite direction, and up to three coaches of the second train also derailed, Sharma said.
The Press Trust of India news agency reported that a third train carrying freight was also involved, but there was no immediate confirmation from railroad authorities.
In the aftermath, television images showed rescuers climbing atop the wreckage to break open doors and windows and using cutting torches to free survivors.
People inspect the site of passenger trains that derailed in India's Balasore district. Photo / Press Trust of India via AP
Passenger Vandana Kaleda told the New Delhi Television news channel that she “found people falling on each other” as her coach shook violently and veered off the tracks. She said she was lucky to survive.
Another survivor who did not give his name said he was sleeping when the impact woke him up. He said he saw other passengers with broken limbs and disfigured faces.
Nearly 500 police officers and rescue workers with 75 ambulances and buses responded to the scene, said Pradeep Jena, the top bureaucrat of the Odisha state.
Rescuers were attempting to free 200 people feared trapped in the wreckage, Shinde said.
The Press Trust said the derailed Coromandel Express was travelling from Howrah in West Bengal state to Chennai, the capital of southern Tamil Nadu state.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his thoughts were with the bereaved families.
Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation. Rescue ops are underway at the site of the mishap and all…
Despite government efforts to improve rail safety, several hundred accidents occur every year on India’s railways, the largest train network under one management in the world.
In August 1995, two trains collided near New Delhi, killing 358 people in the worst train accident in India’s history.
Most train accidents are blamed on human error or outdated signalling equipment.
More than 12 million people ride 14,000 trains across India every day, travelling on 64,000km of track.
