New Delhi: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been carrying out a massive operation to rescue passengers, who were still trapped in the mangled coaches of a horrific accident involving three trains, including a freight train, that took place in Balasore district of Odisha on Friday. Apart from the latest technology, the NDRF has also been using the K9 service for the detection of human lives.
Mohsen Shahedi, DIG (Ops) in the NDRF said, "This tragic accident took place around 7 pm on Friday. Three trains collided. It was a major accident. One team immediately from Regional Response Centre at Balasore, which is about 35 kilometres from the accident site, pressed into service. They reached there immediately. They started operations. Simultaneously, we moved six teams from the Unit Headquarters at Mundli in Odisha. These teams were accompanied by the commandants. When it was unfolded that there could be a lot of deaths and casualties, we also moved two teams from Kolkata where the NDRF's Second Battalion is stationed in West Bengal. So that the operations could be conducted continuously without stopping."
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The NDRF has been using the K9 service in the Balasore train accident. "We are also using K9 to detect the live victims. The rescue operation is in the final stage. We are hoping to culminate the operation and ensure that no live victims are left behind," he said.
Speaking about the arrival of the first team of NDRF at the accident site, Shahedi said, "The first team of NDRF came at the mishap site at 8.30 pm. Our team immediately started the rescue operations. The NDRF personnel are trained to carry out such operations as train accidents. We have got special equipment also for which rescuers are trained."
"Access tools and various technologies like plasma tech are being used during the rescue operations. We are using plasma cutters, bolt cutters and others in these operations. We also pressed into service canines for identifying live victims. In this case, the injured were quite visible. In mangled remains or debris of the last two bogies, we trying to search for human life. But, the chances are remote at this point. So, the operation will be over soon. We have pressed into service six teams of canines to detect human life buried under the debris if any.
At least 288 people were killed and more than 900 were injured in a horrific train accident that took place in Odisha's Balasore on Friday evening. The crash involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Central Coromandal Express and a goods train.
