At least 50 dead, 300 injured in train collision in eastern India

PTI :
At least 50 people were feared dead and 179 injured when two express passenger trains and a goods train were involved in an accident in Balasore district of eastern Indian state of Odisha on Friday evening, PTI reported quoting officials.

Ten to twelve bogies of Shalimar (near Kolkata)-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed after colliding with a freight train near Bahanaga station of Odisha district at around 7:00pm.

After some time, another express train from Yashwantpur to Howrah rammed into the derailed compartments of Coromandel Express, which led to sending three to four coaches off the track, according to Odisha chief secretary Pradeep Jena.

Balasore district officials said around 50 people are feared dead in the accident.

A PTI reporter at the accident spot said several people were trapped under the derailed coaches and locals were assisting emergency services personnel to rescue them but darkness was hindering the operation.

Accident relief trains have been dispatched to the spot, a railway official said.

Four units of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), three units of National Disaster Relief Force and 60 ambulances were working to rescue the injured, officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was distressed by the accident and spoke with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to take stock of the situation.

West Bengal Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi said the state was sending a team led by Minister Manas Bhunia and MP Dola Sen to the spot.