The triple train collision in Odisha’s Balasore, one of the deadliest in India in recent times, involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train. Here’s how the disaster happened.
Three trains collided one after another in a horrific sequence in Odisha’s Balasore district, leaving at least 280 people dead and around 900 people injured. What we know so far is that two passenger trains — Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express — and a goods train were involved in an accident that was triggered by a derailment.
The deadly clash happened when the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which was heading towards Chennai, derailed 300 metres away from Bahanaga Bazar station. The Coromandel Express collided with a goods train on the adjacent track, causing the rear carriage of the Coromandel Express to veer off onto the third track.
At high speed, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, coming from the opposite direction on the third track, rammed into the derailed coaches.
The train crash, one of the deadliest in India in recent times, happened near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday.
#WATCH | The site of the horrific #BalasoreTrainAccident in Odisha where a collision between three trains left 233 dead & around 900 injured. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is taking stock of the situation at the spot as search & rescue operation continues.
An ex-gratia of… pic.twitter.com/oTpbba338N
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023
“At around 7pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Baleswar and fell on the opposite track. After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah dashed into those derailed coaches, resulting in the derailment of its 3-4 coaches,” Railway Spokesperson Amitabh Sharma said.
A goods train was also involved in the accident as some of the coaches of the Coromandel Express, which was heading to Chennai, hit its wagons after getting derailed, an official told PTI.
Many people are still feared trapped in the overturned coaches of the superfast train. Gas cutters were used to extricate the bodies from under the derailed coaches.