A collision between two passenger trains and a goods train in Balasore, India, resulted in over 200 fatalities and hundreds of injuries, making it one of the deadliest train accidents in recent memory.
The sad tragedy in Odisha state, according to Pradeep Jena, the state’s chief secretary, resulted in at least 233 dead and 900 injuries.
As rescue workers conduct a lengthy effort, as Jena indicated during a press conference, the dead toll is expected to rise.
Rescuers were seen painstakingly looking for lives among the rubble of a wrecked rail carriage in disturbing photos from the site. Additionally, individuals were seen navigating through a crumpled train carriage in video footage, which showed crashed coaches dispersed around the train tracks.
According to the authorities, more than 115 ambulances and numerous fire service units were deployed on Friday to assist with the rescue efforts. Approximately 500 units of blood were collected throughout the course of the night, according to Jena’s tweet, and there are currently 900 units on hand.
“This will help in treating the accident victims. I’m personally indebted and grateful to all the volunteers who’ve donated blood for a noble cause,” he wrote.
According to Jena, who spoke to CNN affiliate News18, the exact cause of the devastating collision has not yet been established. He emphasized that the priority at the moment is the continuous rescue operations.
“We are only working (at) sending additional doctors, ambulances, buses, so all those things we are doing so we have not thought of asking what happened, how it happened,” he said.
Cause of train crash in India
Indian authorities revealed that the tragic collision unfolded when a passenger train crashed into coaches of another passenger train that had already derailed and shifted onto the opposite track. Consequently, both trains veered off the tracks.