Indian batsman Virat Kohli on Saturday said he was saddened by the Odisha train accident, which left hundreds dead and around 900 injured.
“Saddened to hear about the tragic train accident in Odisha,” Kohli said in a tweet.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones and wish the injured a speedy recovery.”
Saddened to hear about the tragic train accident in Odisha. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost their loved ones and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) June 3, 2023
According to JEE News, the death toll in the tragic train accident in the Indian state of Odisha has risen to 280 and more are feared as many people are trapped in the wreckage.
The fatal train accident occurred on Friday when the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed and then collided with the Howrah Superfast Express on an adjacent track.
However, local publications in India have reported that a third train, known as a cargo train, was also involved in what is said to be the country’s deadliest rail accident in recent times.
Indian authorities have called in the army to help in the relief effort – led by the country’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), fire department and other rescue teams.
Hundreds of ambulances and medical teams are busy removing bodies and transporting the injured to medical facilities.
“The situation is under control. Search and rescue operations are underway,” the publication quoted Odisha Health Minister Niranjan Pujari as saying.
The country’s Railway Minister Ashwini Vishnu has ordered a high-level probe into the derailment. Meanwhile, a one-day state mourning has been announced in view of the horrific train accident. Additional doctors have been mobilized along with keeping hospitals on high alert.
Train accidents in India are unfortunately not uncommon, with hundreds of incidents occurring every year. The government has made significant investments and technological upgrades to improve railway safety, resulting in a decline in such accidents in recent years.
