Karnataka pilgrims escape unhurt from Odisha train crash; recount horror
The tragic triple-train crash in Odisha’s Balasore on Friday evening has claimed the lives of close to 300 people and left over 900 injured
A group of around 110 passengers from Karnataka has emerged unharmed from the tragic triple-train crash in Odisha’s Balasore on Friday, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
The survivors, mostly pilgrims from Kalasa in Chikkamagaluru, were on their way to Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand when the incident occurred. They were on the 12864 SMVB – HWH (Bengaluru-Howrah) Superfast Express, which involved in a collision with the 12841 Shalimar – Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a freight train.
The tragic crash has claimed the lives of close to 300 people and left over 900 injured.
“More than 100 passengers from Kalasa were on the Howrah Express train to go to Sammed Shikharji. They boarded the train at M Vishveshwaraya Railway station in Bengaluru. All of them have escaped unhurt from the train accident,” Harsha Vardhan Jain, a family member of a passenger said.
One of the passengers, Praveen Jain, said that the train abruptly came to a halt, causing confusion among the passengers. “Around 8.30pm, while we were performing a pooja ritual as part of our pilgrimage, the train abruptly stopped. Just before that, we heard a loud noise. There was a lot of confusion,” he said. “We got down from the train and walked three kilometres towards the back of the train. Then we saw several coaches piled on top of each other and parts were mangled,” Jain added.
According to him, initially, passengers were unaware of what had happened. Soon local villagers joined the rescue efforts, pulling out bodies from the derailed coaches with the aid of ladders.
According to South Western Railway (SWR) officials, an estimated 1,294 passengers, including the 300 in the General Seating (GS) coaches, were travelling on the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express. “No one from the reserved coaches was injured or dead. A few passengers on the General Seating (GS) coaches had some injuries. The capsized GS and SLRD (Brake Van) are still being restored,” the SWR said in a statement on Saturday.
In the wake of the accident, three trains originating from the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) in Bengaluru—12551 SMVB-KYQ (Bengaluru-Kamakhya), 12864 SMVB-HWH (Bengaluru-Howrah), and 12253 SMVB-BGP (Bengaluru-Bhagalpur)—were cancelled. The SWR announced the rescheduling of 08415 Jaleswar-Puri Special, which would now depart from Bhadrak instead of Jaleswar.
Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has sent labor minister Santosh Lad to Odisha to coordinate the rescue efforts and to provide assistance to the injured individuals from Karnataka.
“The chief minister has requested reports from the Chief Secretary and directed concerned officials to visit the site, ensuring the well-being of Kannadigas and offering necessary support,” the chief minister’s office (CMO) tweeted.
The State Emergency Operations Centre has established helplines (1070, 080-22253707, 080-22340676) to address the needs of victims and their families affected by the Balasore train accident.
The Karnataka Railway Police has released helpline numbers to gather information about individuals from the state who were onboard the ill-fated train.