In a major train accident in Odisha, an express train collided with a goods train in which many are now feared dead.
At around 7pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Baleswar and fell on the opposite track. After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah dashed into those derailed coaches resulting in the derailment of its 3-4 coaches,” Railway Spokesperson Amitabh Sharma told newswire agency ANI.
According to PTI, over 170 persons have been injured in the accident. According to Hindustan Times, over 30 persons have lost their lives in the accident.
“Nearly 50 ambulances have reported but the injured appear far too many. Large (number) of buses being mobilised to shift injured to hospital”, Pradeep Jena, Odisha’s Chief Secretary, wrote on Twitter.
A PTI reporter at the 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.
