Odisha train accident: At least 275 people were killed and over 1,100 injured after an accident involving three trains in Odisha's Balasore district. The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which were carrying around 2,500 passengers, and a goods train occurred around 7 PM on Friday near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar. Twenty-one coaches were derailed and severely damaged in the accident, trapping hundreds of passengers. Both passenger trains were at a high speed and it has been cited by experts as one of the main reasons for the high number of casualties.
The official toll in the devastating train accident mounted to 275 so far, with 747 people injured along with 56 grievously injured so far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the accident site and was briefed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as well as officers of the disaster management teams. He also met some of the injured in the hospital. The restoration work is underway at the accident site with 1000+ manpower engaged. The preliminary inquiry report indicate that a human error may be behind the tragedy. Reports indicate that the Coromandel Express was given a green signal to proceed on the main line towards Chennai, but due to a human error, was sent on the loop line where a goods train was standing.
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