Balasore (Odisha):Rescuers found no more survivors in the overturned and mangled wreckage of two passenger trains that derailed in Odisha's Balasore, killing more than 280 people and injuring over 800 in one of the country's deadliest rail crashes in decades, officials said Saturday.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials Chaotic scenes erupted after the derailment on Friday night about 220 kilometers (137 miles) southwest of Kolkata, as rescuers climbed atop the wrecked trains to break open doors and windows using cutting torches. The death toll rose steadily throughout the night. Scores of bodies, covered by white sheets, lay on the ground near the tracks while locals and rescuers raced to free the hundreds of people trapped in the rail cars under the twisted metal and broken glass. Army soldiers and air force helicopters joined the effort.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials "By 10 pm (on Friday) we were able to rescue the survivors. After that it was about picking up dead bodies,” Sudhanshu Sarangi, director of Associated Press quoted Odisha state's fire and emergency department as having said . “This is very, very tragic. I have never seen anything like this in my career.”
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials At least 280 bodies were recovered overnight and into Saturday morning, he said. The cause was under investigation. Amitabh Sharma, a Railroad Ministry spokesperson, said the rescue work was near completion. Rail authorities will start removing the wreckage to repair the track and resume train operations, he said.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials About 200 of the severely injured people were transferred to specialty hospitals in other cities in Odisha, said P.K. Jena, the state’s top administrative official. Another 200 were discharged after receiving medical care and the rest were being treated in local hospitals, he added. Scores of people also showed up to donate blood.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials "The challenge now is identifying the bodies. Wherever the relatives are able to provide evidence, the bodies are handed over after autopsies. If not identified, maybe we have to go for a DNA test and other protocols," he said.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials Ten to 12 coaches of one train derailed, and debris from some of the mangled coaches fell onto a nearby track, according to Sharma. The debris was hit by another passenger train coming from the opposite direction, causing up to three coaches of the second train to also derail, he added.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials Officials said 1,200 rescuers worked with 115 ambulances, 50 buses and 45 mobile health units through the night. Saturday was declared as a day of mourning in Odisha. Villagers said they rushed to the site to evacuate people after hearing a loud sound created by the train coaches going off the tracks.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials “The local people really went out on a limb to help us. They not only helped in pulling out people, but retrieved our luggage and got us water,” PTI cited Rupam Banerjee, a survivor, as saying.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials Passenger Vandana Kaleda said that people were falling on each other as her coach shook violently and veered off the tracks. “As I stepped out of the washroom, suddenly the train tilted. I lost my balance. ... Everything went topsy turvy. People started falling on each other and I was shocked and could not understand what happened. My mind stopped working," she said.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials Another survivor who did not give his name said he was sleeping when the impact woke him up. He said he saw other passengers with broken limbs and disfigured faces. The collision involved two trains, the Coromandel Express traveling from Howrah in West Bengal state to Chennai in Tamil Nadu state and the Howrah Superfast Express traveling from Bengaluru in Karnataka to Howrah, officials said. It was not immediately clear which derailed first.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials Ashwini Vaishnaw, railway minister, said a high-level probe would be carried out. The political opposition criticized the government and called for Vaishnaw to resign. In August 1995, two trains collided near New Delhi, killing 358 people in one of the worst train accidents in India. In 2016, a passenger train slid off the tracks between the cities of Indore and Patna, killing 146 people.
Odisha train tragedy: Challenge now is identifying bodies, say officials Most train accidents are blamed on human error or outdated signaling equipment. More than 12 million people ride 14,000 trains across India every day, traveling on 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) of track. (Pictures and inputs from AP)
