Team News Riveting
Bhubaneswar, June 2
Over 50 passengers were killed when the Howrah-bound Bengaluru superfast express ramped into the derailed coaches of Chennai-bound Coromandel express in Odisha’s Balasore on Friday evening.
The toll is likely to increase as over 150 passengers are reported to be injured. Of them many are reported to be critical. Even the debris of the mangled coaches are yet to be removed.
The injured have been shifted to Balasore and nearby hospitals. Relief trains with medical facilities have started from Kharagpur, about 150 km from the spot.
According to Railway Spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, at around 7 pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express (12841) derailed near Baleswar and fell on the opposite track. “After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah (12864) dashed into those derailed coaches resulting in the derailment of its 3-4 coaches,” Sharma said.
The relief teams of the state government have left for the spot for search and rescue operation while Collector, Balasore has also been directed to reach the spot to make all necessary arrangements. The district authorities have been asked to update the state relief commissioner (SRC) for additional resources required from the state level.
The SRC’s office released an emergency control room number, 6782262286 for information and help relating to the mishap.
