The Coromandel Express collided with a goods train in a tragic incident that occurred near Balasore, Odisha, causing extensive damage and loss. The tragedy, which happened on 2nd June,2023 has sparked questions about the safety of trains and the necessity for stronger precautions to avoid such tragedies. In the Balasore area of Odisha, a passenger train collided with the wrecked carriages of the Coromandel Express, resulting in 70 fatalities and over 350 injuries. The compensation package included Rs 50,000 for minor injuries, Rs 2 lakh for major injuries, and Rs 10 lakh for the family of the deceased, according to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
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| Several coaches of the express train overturned after it collided with a goods train. |
In the evening of Friday in Odisha's Balasore district, a passenger train struck derailed carriages of the Coromandel Express, which travels from Shalimar station in West Bengal to Chennai, killing 70 people and injuring nearly 350 more. According to Pradeep Jena, the chief secretary for Odisha, a freight train was also involved in the tragedy.
#WATCH | Visuals from the site of the train accident in Odisha's Balasore district where two passenger trains and one goods train met with an accident leaving hundreds injured. Rescue operation is underway at the spot. pic.twitter.com/0mJADqUua4
— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2023
Numerous people are thought to be trapped inside the superfast train's upturned carriages as a result of the crash, which happened close to the Bahanaga railway station in the Balasore area. The Bengaluru-Howrah superfast express was the second train that was involved in the collision.
A payout of Rs 10 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, and Rs 50,000 was awarded by Railway Minister Ashwini for the surviving family members of the dead. He said that he was his route to the accident scene in Odisha and that he would bring all the personnel needed for the rescue efforts.
Ex-gratia compensation to the victims of this unfortunate train accident in Odisha;
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 2, 2023
₹10 Lakh in case of death,
₹2 Lakh towards grievous and ₹50,000 for minor injuries.
The wounded passengers were sent to Khantapada Primary Health Centre, Community Health Centres in Soro and Gopalpur, and the Balasore Medical College.
WHAT WE CURRENTLY KNOW
An official with the Railways reported that many coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah train derailed at Bahanaga Baazar in the Balasore district and crashed on nearby lines. The earlier train's derailed coaches were struck by the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which was approaching on the nearby lines, and those train's carriages capsized as well.
According to Pradeep Jena, chief secretary of Odisha, a cargo train was also involved in the incident. According to a railway official, the Coromandel Express's derailed carriages collided with the goods train's waggons.
#WATCH | Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena on Coromandel Express train accident in Balasore district.
— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2023
(Video: Chief Secretary's office) pic.twitter.com/9HlqaNtfkZ
NDRF and SDRF teams are on the scene, and 600–700 members of the rescue force have been sent out, he informed the media. The number of injured passengers exceeds the capability of the ambulances, according to the chief secretary, who stated that about 50 had arrived at the accident scene.
The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office dispatched teams to the accident scene to conduct a search and rescue operation. Pramila Mallik, the state's minister of disaster management, and top SRC officers were given the task of overseeing the operation by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The Chief Minister of Odisha also went to the Special Relief Commissioner's office's control room. On Saturday, he will go to the scene of the collision.
Additionally, the District Magistrate of Balasore has been instructed to travel to the accident scene, make all necessary preparations, and notify the SRC of the need for any extra state-level assistance.
Helpline numbers have been set up in different areas to help the victims of the accident and to answer queries. The helpline numbers for Balasore are 8249591559 and 7978418322, for Howrah it is 033-26382217, for Kharagpur the numbers are 8972073925 and 9332392339, and 9903370746 for Shalimar.
Numerous trains' schedules have been impacted by the incident close to the Bahanaga railway station, and many of them have been cancelled or diverted.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences for the victims of the accident. "My heart goes out to the bereaved families. I pray for the success of rescue operations and quick recovery of the injured," said President Murmu.
Deeply anguished to know about the loss of lives in an unfortunate rail accident in Balasore, Odisha. My heart goes out to the bereaved families. I pray for the success of rescue operations and quick recovery of the injured.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 2, 2023
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the train accident in Odisha and said he talked to Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. "All possible assistance is being given to those affected," he added.
Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation. Rescue ops are underway at the site of the mishap and all…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 2, 2023
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the state government is coordinating with the Odisha government and South Eastern Railways to help the rescue operation.
Shocked to know that the Shalimar- Coromondel express, carrying passengers from West Bengal, collided with a goods train near Balasore today evening and some of our outbound people have been seriously affected/ injured. We are coordinating with Odisha government and South…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 2, 2023
She added that the Bengal government is sending a team of five to six members to aide the Odisha government.
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