Yearender 2023: The road accidents have remained a persistent global health crisis, according to a World Health Organisation global status report on road safety 2023, which notes that road rash deaths have fallen by 5 per cent since 2010.
“The annual number of road traffic deaths fell slightly to 1.19 million per year, according to the latest WHO report. Yet with more than 2 deaths occurring per minute and over 3200 per day, road traffic crashes remain the leading killer of children and youth aged 5–29 years, according to the report.
Railways in India, which are often referred to as lifeline of the country have been a witness to a series of train accidents, claiming hundreds of lives in 2023.
The rail accidents included derailments to fires and also collisions, thus redrawing the attention on the need for safety on tracks.
Let’s take a look at major tragedies in the country this year.
- Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, Odisha: Over 290 people lost their lives and over 900 were injured in a horrific triple train crash in Odisha involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train in Odisha on June 2.
- Andhra Pradesh train collision: On October 29, a train collision between the Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger train and the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train in Andhra Pradesh left 14 passengers dead. According to the officials, the accident took place after one of the passenger trains overshot a signal.
- Bihar North East Express Derailment: On the night of October 11, six coaches of the 12506 Anand Vihar Terminal-Kamakhya Junction North East Express derailed near Buxar’s Raghunathpur Railway Station in Bihar in which four people died while over 70 others were injured.
- Tiruchirapalli-Shri Ganganagar Humsafar SF Express: On September 23, a fire broke out in the EOG and B1 coach of the 22498 Tiruchirapalli-Shri Ganganagar Humsafar SF Express while it was crossing Valsad Railway Station.
- Lucknow-Rameshwaram Bharat Gaurav train fire: As many as nine passengers died while 20 others were injured after a fire broke out in the Lucknow-Rameshwaram Bharat Gaurav train which was halted near the Madurai junction at around 5.15 am. According to the initial inquiry, it came to the fore that the passengers had smuggled a gas cylinder on the train and cooked in the coach, when the blaze erupted.
- Jan Shatabdi Express coach derailment: On June 9, a coach of the Vijayawada-Chennai Central Jan Shatabdi Express ran off the track near the Basin Bridge station at around 2.30 am. Fortunately, no injuries and casualties were reported in the incident.
Taking a look at the massive accidents over the year:
- 2012: On May 22, in the Hampi Express mishap, a cargo train and the Hubli-Bangalore Hampi Express collided close to Andhra Pradesh.
- There were roughly 25 fatalities and about 43 injuries as a result of the train's four bogies derailing and one of them catching fire.
- 2014: On May 26, in the Sant Kabir Nagar area of Uttar Pradesh, the Gorakhdham Express, which was headed towards Gorakhpur, collided with a halted goods train in close proximity to Khalilabad station, resulting in 25 fatalities and more than 50 injuries.
- 2016: On November 20, the Indore-Patna Express 19321 derailed close to Pukhrayan in Kanpur, India, killing at least 150 passengers and injuring more than 150.
- 2017: On August 23, nine train coaches of the Delhi-bound Kaifiyat Express derailed near Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, causing at least 70 injuries. On August 18, the Puri-Haridwar Utkal Express derailed in Muzaffarnagar, killing 23 people and injuring nearly 60 others.
- 2022: On January 13, at least 12 coaches of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express derailed in the West Bengal region of Alipurduar, leaving 9 persons dead and 36 others injured.
- 2023: On June 2, at least 50 people were killed and more than 350 injured in a horrific triple train crash in Odisha involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train.
(With PTI inputs)
