At least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in a rail disaster involving several trains in eastern India, a senior local official said on Friday (June 2). A passenger train, the Coromandel Express, and a freight convoy collided near Balasore, about 200 kilometers from Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha, witnesses and government spokespersons said regional.
A second passenger train would also have been involved in this tragedy, according to Pradeep Jena, a high representative of the government of this State, but the exact circumstances in which this occurred are unknown.
“Our top priority now is to rescue (passengers) and treat the injured”, said Pradeep Jena. According to a Balasore police official, many of the injured were in serious condition. Many passengers could also have been trapped under wagons.
The Air Force “mobilized”
“We expect relief operations to continue at least until tomorrow morning. On our side, we have prepared all the major public and private hospitals, from the accident site to the state capital, in order to take care of the injured.”said SK Panda, a spokesman for the state authorities.
He added that “75 ambulances” had already been dispatched to the scene than “many cars” had also been sent to transport both injured passengers and survivors.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “afflicted”. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said he was going to the scene of the disaster, stressing that the air force was also mobilized.