Three trains collided in Odisha, India, on June 2, 2023, killing at least 288 persons and wounding 803. The collision happened at the Bahanaga railway station in the Balasore district.
According to preliminary findings, the Coromandel Express, a passenger train traveling from Shalimar to Chennai, derailed at 7 p.m. local time. Several carriages of the train were hit by the Howrah Superfast Express, another passenger train traveling from Howrah to Puri. A third train, a freight train, was apparently involved in the disaster, though it is unclear how.
The origin of the catastrophe is still being investigated, but officials believe it was caused by a human mistake or a technical flaw. The government has formed a high-level committee to investigate the disaster and provide recommendations to prevent future mishaps.
The catastrophe is India’s worst rail crash in more than 20 years. Across the country, there has been tremendous shock and mourning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the disaster scene and met with injured persons in Cuttack hospitals. He has also offered a payout of $500,000 (US$6,400) for each individual who died in the disaster.
The catastrophe has underlined the need for improved railway safety in India. The country’s railway network is one of the world’s largest, but it is also one of the most congested and badly maintained. A series of high-profile train accidents have occurred in India in recent years, raising worries about the safety of the country’s railroads.
RailMadad, Helpline, State and Railways Control Room Numbers
- West Bengal government’s emergency control room number: 033- 22143526/ 22535185
- RailMadad helpline: 044- 25354771.
- Odisha government’s helpline number: 06782-262286.
Helpdesk set up at Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to assist victims
A support center has been formed at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to assist the victims of the railway tragedy in Balasore, Odisha. The support desk, located in the BMC-ICOMC tower in Satya Nagar, Bhubaneswar, attempts to assist the deceased’s family, friends, and relatives, as well as others who have become stuck as a result of the unfortunate tragedy.
“Odisha Train Accident Assistance Line: 1929” “A Help Desk has been established in the @bmcbbsr office in Bhubaneswar under the supervision of senior officers to provide assistance to the relatives of the train accident victims,” the I and PR Department of Odisha said in a tweet.
“A helpline number 1929 has also been established for this purpose,” added the government.
In the aftermath of the Balasore train tragedy in Odisha, the Ministry of Railways provided hotline numbers on Saturday.
The Balasore railway catastrophe featured two passenger trains and a cargo wagon, killing 288 passengers and injuring nearly 1,000 others.
According to the preliminary assessment, the three-way collision included the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express, and a cargo train on three distinct tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station in the Balasore district. In the Friday evening disaster, 17 coaches of these two passenger trains were derailed and seriously damaged.
Three trains were involved in the accident:
- Coromandel Express, which had just begun from Shalimar railway station in the state of West Bengal and was bound for the southern city of Chennai
- Howrah Superfast Express, which had started from Yesvantpur station in Bengaluru and was set to arrive at Howrah
- A goods train that was stopped at the Bahanaga Bazar station
Various versions differ as to which train derailed first and how the crash occurred. However, railway official Amitabh Sharma stated that the Coromandel Express was the first to derail.
According to a railway ministry source, the Bahanaga Bazar station has four tracks.
“Goods trains were parked on Lines 1 and 4.” On tracks two and three, passenger trains were operating parallel and simultaneously. “It is being investigated why and how the Coromandel Express derailed and collided with the goods trains,” he added.
He went on to say that coaches from the derailed train landed on the Howrah Superfast’s two rear coaches, derailing them as well.
The impact of the accident crushed many coaches, according to Atul Karwal, commander of the National Disaster Response Impact (NDRF), and rescuers had to cut through the wreckage to reach the passengers.
Hundreds of ambulances, physicians, medics, and rescue workers were dispatched to the area and worked for 18 hours to rescue people and recover remains.
India boasts one of the world’s largest train networks. It operates over 12,000 passenger trains every day, carrying tens of millions of passengers around the country – but much of the railway infrastructure has to be improved.
FAQS:
In Odisha, which three trains collided?
When a passenger train, the Coromandel Shalimar Express, derailed and collided with a cargo train, another train, the Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast, collided with the wrecked coaches. The death toll is expected to grow, and many more are feared to be trapped in the wreckage.
In Odisha, how many trains collided?
Highlights from the Odisha railway accident: The death toll has risen to over 400…
Investigators were looking at any human mistake, signal failure, or other probable reasons for the three-train disaster in Odisha’s Balasore district 15 hours ago.
What caused the Odisha train accident?
Odisha train disaster: According to train minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the accident occurred owing of a “change in electronic interlocking.”
Which is India’s deadliest railway accident?
In 1995, the Purushottam Express collided with a stalled train in central Uttar Pradesh, killing over 300 passengers. A passenger train derailed in the same state in 2016, killing 152 people.