Bhubaneswar: The death toll in the accident involving two express trains — Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express — and a goods train in Odisha’s Balasore has risen to 288, according to latest estimates by South Eastern Railway.
More than 900 injured have been rushed to different hospitals in Balasore and nearby districts.
The incident took place around 7 pm when Coromandel Express, heading to Chennai, derailed and hit a goods train, after which many coaches of the passenger train flipped over and fell on the opposite track. The Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast coming from the opposite side then collided with the derailed coaches. Both trains were moving at a high speed at the time of the collision.
“Two passenger trains had an active involvement in the accident while the third train, a goods train, which was parked at the site, also got (involved) in the accident,” Indian Railways executive director Amitabh Sharma told AFP.
The massive tragedy could be the result of human error since the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express took a loop line where the goods train was parked just after crossing Bahanagar Bazar station at about 6.55pm instead of the main line, Hindustan Times reported citing initial reports from the signalling control room of the railways.
A total of 17 coaches of these two trains were de-railed and severely damaged in three-way accident on 3 different tracks. Visuals from the crash site showed smashed train coaches torn open and twisted train tracks. Seven NDRF teams, 5 ODRAF units and 24 Fire Services & Emergency units are engaged in rescue operation, source said.
The toll is likely to go up as several coaches are still lying scattered on the tracks.
Meanwhile, the Railways has ordered a a high-level investigation into the the consecutive crashes amid possibility of a ‘signalling failure’.
