Odisha train accident | Guilty will be severely punished, says PM; Health Minister to visit AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Sunday

Read on for all the updates throughout Saturday on the horrific accident involving three trains in Odisha's Balasore on Friday evening.

India witnessed one of its deadliest train accidents in recent history on Friday evening involving three trains -- Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and a goods train -- at Bahanaga Bazar Station in the Balasore district of Odisha. As many as 17 coaches of the passenger trains were derailed and severely damaged. The death has mounted to 288. Hundreds are being treated at hospitals. ETV Bharat tracks this tragedy and its aftermath here:

• 11 pm
  Reactions on the Odisha train accident continued to pour in on Saturday. AAP alleged the PM Modi-led government's entire focus is on "PR exercise and showing off" and not passengers' safety. Meanwhile, RJD chief and former Railway minister Lalu Prasad said the centre has "completely destroyed" Indian Railways. Read more...
• 10:30 pm
  As many as 288 people were killed in the horrific trainwreck, according to the latest inputs by officials. As for the injured, a total of 1,175 people were admitted to hospitals, including private establishments, and of them, 793 were discharged while 382 are undergoing treatment. Barring two who are critical, the condition of the remaining is stated to be stable. Read more...
• 10:15 pm
  The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Saturday asked airlines to monitor and take necessary action in case of any abnormal surge in airfares to and from Bhubaneswar, in view of the train accident in the state. Besides, the ministry said that any cancellation and rescheduling of flights due to the incident may be done without penal charges. Read more...
• 9:45 pm
  Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will visit AIIMS Bhubaneswar and Medical College in Cuttack on Sunday to take stock of medical assistance being provided to the injured victims of the Odisha tragic train accident.
• 8:30 pm
  The authorities are now faced up with the challenge of identifying the bodies. The government is engaged in efforts to identify them. Officials say 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," a top official in the Odisha government said. Read more...
• 8:25 pm
  At least 35 people from West Bengal have died and 544 sustained injuries in the Odisha train accident, the state government said on Saturday. "As of now, 35 passengers from West Bengal lost their lives in the accident while another 544 were injured. The numbers are likely to go up," an official said.
• 7:00 pm
  The engine drivers and guards of the two passenger trains have miraculously survived and are being treated in different hospitals. The engine driver and the guard of the goods trains has escaped unhurt. Coromandel Express's loco pilot and his assistant as well as the guard and Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express's guard were on the injured list, senior divisional commercial manager of South Eastern Railway's Kharagpur division, Rajesh Kumar, said on Saturday.
• 6:22 pm
  The death toll Balasore trainwreck has climbed to 288. Citing reports available till 2 pm on Saturday, an official said that 288 people were killed in the accident. The official said 803 people were injured in the accident. Of them, 56 suffered grievous injuries. Read more...
• 5:48 pm
  "It's a painful incident. The government will leave no stone unturned for the treatment of those injured. It's a serious incident, and instructions have been issued for probe from every angle. Those found guilty will be severely punished. The railways is working towards track restoration," PM Modi said while speaking to the media after meeting the injured. Read more...
• 5:20 pm
  PM Narendra Modi met the survivors of the trainwreck after taking stock of the situation at the crash site. The Prime Minister visited Balasore Hospital and interacted with the injured. He asked them about their well-being and directed officials to ensure that the best medical care is made available. Read more...
• 5:15 pm
  A family from West Bengal miraculously survived the trainwreck and recalls what exactly had happened. Read more...
• 4:30 pm
  Preliminary investigations have revealed that the Coromandel Express train entered the loop line and crashed into a goods train parked there instead of the main line just ahead of the Bahanagar Bazar station. The coaches of Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express capsized after crashing into the coaches of Coromandel Express that had scattered on the adjacent track. Read more...
• 4:20 pm
  Coromandel Express was running at a speed of 128 kmph while Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express was running at a speed of 116 kmph.
• 3.45 pm
  PM Modi arrived at the crash site and stayed there for around 40 minutes while taking stock of the situation. He is also going to meet the survivors being treated at hospitals. To read more...
• 2.35 pm
  There were about 1257 reserved passengers onboard Coromandel Express and 1039 reserved passengers onboard Yashwantpur Express at the time of the accident.
• 2.15 pm
  How the accident occurred? ANI quoting government sources said: The Coromandel Express train dashed with stationery goods train at Bahanaga Bazar station, while it was going at full speed as it was not supposed to stop at the station. The impact was such that its 21 coaches derailed with its 3 coaches infringing on the other line (Down line). Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express which was passing through Bahanaga Bazar station hit the derailed coaches. The third train's rearmost 2 coaches derailed. Read more...
• 1.55 pm
  Congress leader Sonia Gandhi expressed her condolences to the bereaved. "I am most pained and anguished by the terrible train disaster in Odisha. I extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to all the bereaved families," Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party said.
• 1.45 pm
  West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of people of her state, who were killed in the horrific triple train crash accident. She also visited the accident site. To read more...
• 1.30 pm
  Russian PresidentVladimir Putin sends his condolences to President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi over the train wreck. Russian Embassy in India said: “We share the grief of those who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident and wish a speedy recovery for those injured."
• 12.55 pm
  'Black Friday', as it is known for Odisha witnessed another train tragedy involving the Coromandel Express once again on a Friday night after 14 years. The yesterday night mishap in Odisha's Balasore district involving the Coromandel Express, claimed the lives of over 261 passengers and injured 900. To read more...
• 12.25 pm
  Amid backlash, Indian Railways says the stretch where the accident occurred was not covered under the much-touted "Kavach". Kavach is an anti-collision system which would stop the loco when there is an obstruction over the track and prevent any collision from happening.
• 12.15 pm
  The rise in the death toll in one of the deadliest accidents in independent India has prompted the Opposition to hold the Union government accountable. Congress has questioned the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the lack of safety system 'Kavach' proposed by the minister over five months ago. “Where was 'Kavach' when a train derailed and came to another railway track? To read more...
• 12.05 pm
  PM Modi chairs high level meeting in the national capital on the Balasore train wreck. To read more...
• 11.45 am
  The passengers who were on board the ill fated Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and the Bengaluru Howrah Express, stranded at the accident site were brought to Howrah stranded passengers from Odisha's Balasore arrives at Howrah railway station in West Bengal.
• 11.15 am
  Railway begins restoration works at the accident site after declaring that the rescue operation as complete. The rescue has been completed. Now, we begin our restoration work in the damaged section, Railway Spokesperson told ANI.
• 11.05 am
  PM Modi will visit the accident where the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru Howrah Express and a goods train and killed over 238 people besides injuring over 900. To read more...
• 10.55 am
  IAF joined the rescue operations in Balasore wherein the derailment induced train wreck killed hundreds in Odisha. To read more...
• 10.34 am
  DMK cancels celebration of Karunanidhi centenary celebrations in the wake of the Balasore train tragedy. DMK chief MK Stalin garlanded the statue of M Karunanidhi and visited the memorial of his late father and former party chief. To read more...
• 10.14 am
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened a meeting to review the situation in connection with the Odisha Balasore train wreck, ANI reported quoting government sources.
• 9.35 am
  Tamil Nadu announced "one day state mourning" to condole the lives lost in the train accident which has so far claimed 238 lives.
• 9.16 am
  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin sends a group of ministers to Odisha to assist in the rescue operations and also to help the denizens from Tamil Nadu who were on board the ill fated Express trains at the time of the accident.
• 8.43 am
  Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday visited the accident site and took stock of the situation. He interacted with the rescue teams from the state and the centre besides the revenue authorities from the district. To read more...
• 8.25 am
  Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw said a high level inquiry into the train accident will be conducted and an independent inquiry into the incident by Railway Commissioner for Safety will be simultaneously carried out. To read more...
• 7.55 am
  Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw arrived at the accident site where three trains - the Shalimar - Chennai Central Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru-Horwah Superfast Express and a goods train crashed.
• 7.55 am
  Condolences poured in from all quarters after the huge loss of lives reported in the Balasore triple train accident in Odisha. World leaders expressed their deeply felt condolences to the bereaved families and wished for the early recovery of those injured and affected. To read more...
• 7.15 am
  The US State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs condoled the loss of lives in the horrific Odisha train accident on Friday. "Deeply saddened by a tragic train crash in eastern India with reports of many injured or dead. Our deepest sympathies to all those facing the loss of their loved ones." To read more...
• 6.45 am
  The Friday triple train crash in which at least 233 people were killed and more than 900 injured, is one of the deadliest such accidents since independence. Here is a look at the data of eight such other horrible train accidents. To read more...
• 6.25 am
  Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday declared one-day state mourning in view of the horrific train crash that killed more than 200 people and injured around 900. To read more...
• 6:07 am
  Death toll rises to 233 in the Balasore Train Accident, Odisha Chief Secretary PK Jena announced in a tweet. To read more...
• 6 am
  The East Coast Railway has announced the cancellation, diversion and partial cancellation of several trains in the wake of the horrific accident at Balasore. Follow this hyperlink to know full details.