Eight dead, 42 missing from Bihar in Odisha train accident

According to the officials, 48 passengers from Bihar are injured and are undergoing treatment in different hospitals in Odisha.

PATNA: The number of people from Bihar who died in the Odisha train accident on Friday stood at eight while 42 from the state are still missing, said top officials of the state disaster management department on Sunday.

Passengers wait for trains at Patna Junction after several trains got cancelled following the Odhisa train accident, on Sunday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

According to the officials, 48 passengers from Bihar are injured and are undergoing treatment in different hospitals in Odisha.

Secretary, disaster management department, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said that eight persons from the state have been declared dead in the accident, which claimed 275 lives and has left over 1,000 passengers injured when three trains collided in Odisha’s Balasore on Friday evening.

Agarwal said among the eight deceased, four were from Madhubani, two from Purnia, one from Muzaffarpur, and one from East Champaran.

Officials said among the eight who lost their lives, most of the deceased were migrant workers. Among those missing, there are a good number of students who had reportedly gone to southern states for a trip.

As per reports, 12 persons from Pirpainti, Kahalgaon, and Santhal tola in Bhagalpur are said to be missing, of which most of them are migrant workers.

The state government has already sent a four-member team to Odisha to look after the injured passengers and help the families of the deceased. Officials said that around 62 passengers, hailing from Bihar, who escaped unhurt in the accident were being brought back to the state.

“A four-member team is in Balasore. We are arranging for the return of passengers who have escaped unhurt in the accident,” Agarwal said.

On the missing passengers, he said that the department was coordinating with officials in Odisha and also family members who have lodged missing reports of their near and dear ones. “We have already circulated the pictures of the missing people with the DMs and also the team in Odisha is coordinating with officials to trace the passengers,” Agarwal said.

Officials said the toll from Bihar could rise as officials are still in the process of identifying bodies and are also searching for missing passengers.