Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences to hundreds of Indian families who lost loved ones in three train crashes in the state of Odisha – the country’s deadliest rail accident in more than 20 years.
The state has declared an official day of mourning on Saturday as a mark of respect for the victims as 288 people have lost their lives and more are expected. It is reported that more than 900 people were injured in the accident.
Debris was piled high at the site of the accident near Balasore in the eastern state, where some bogies were derailed and others completely overturned.
The mangled train coaches were blown apart by the impact late on Friday, leaving bloody holes in their sides.
In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of hundreds of lives in the Indian train accident.
Deeply saddened by the loss of hundreds of lives in a train accident in India. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. Prayers for speedy recovery of the injured.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 3, 2023
“My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the Prime Minister said.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that he was sorry to learn about the terrible incident.
“Our condolences to the families of the victims. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery. #BalasoreTrainAccident,” he added.
Saddened to learn of the high death toll in the tragic train accident in Odisha, India. Our condolences for the families of the victims. Wish speedy recovery to the injured. #BalasoreTrainAccident
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) June 3, 2023
The disaster began when an express train from India’s tech hub Bengaluru to Kolkata derailed, crashing onto the adjacent southbound track.
Minutes later, the Kolkata-to-Chennai Coromandel Express crashed into the wreckage, some of its coaches also hitting a freight train parked nearby.
‘Distressed’
India has one of the largest rail networks in the world and has seen many disasters over the years, the worst of which was in 1981 when a train derailed while crossing a bridge in Bihar and plunged into a river. It collapsed, killing between 800 and 1,000 people.
Friday’s accident is its third worst, and the deadliest since 1995, when two express trains collided in Firozabad near Agra, killing more than 300 people.
Odisha State Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena confirmed that around 900 injured have been admitted to hospital.
Rescue teams including National Disaster Response Force and Air Force teams were deployed, while the Ministry of Railways announced an investigation.
Officials said every hospital between the crash site and the state capital Bhubaneswar, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) away, was receiving victims, with 200 ambulances — and even buses — deployed to transport them.
At Bhadrak District Hospital, bloodied and traumatized survivors were being treated in packed wards.
The disaster comes despite new investments and upgrades in technology that have significantly improved railway safety in recent years.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – whose officials said he would visit the crash site and hospitals later Saturday – said he was “distressed by the train crash”.
“In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly,” he tweeted.
Survivors’ account
Survivor Arjun Das told JEE News that he heard a roar, then saw people falling from the upper berth.
He jumped from the train. “People were screaming, screaming for help,” he said.
“There were injuries all over the inside of the coaches and along the tracks. I want to forget those scenes.”
Researcher Anubhu Das was in the last carriage of the second train when he heard “screaming, terrifying sounds coming from a distance”.
His coach remained upright and after it stopped he jumped out unharmed.
“I saw bloody scenes, mangled bodies and a man with a severed arm helping his injured son,” the 27-year-old told JEE News.
“I lost count of the bodies before I left the scene. I feel almost guilty now.”
