The death toll jumped to 288 in the country's worst rail accident in more than 20 years - after a passenger train went off the tracks and hit another one in Odisha's Balasore on Friday night.
While a preliminary report blamed it on signal failure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the accident site and was briefed by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as well as officers of the disaster management teams. He also met some of the injured in the hospital.
Bodies were still trapped in the mangled coaches, while some reports suggested that the death toll is expected to rise.
{{/usCountry}}Bodies were still trapped in the mangled coaches, while some reports suggested that the death toll is expected to rise.
{{/usCountry}}The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which were carrying around 2,000 passengers, and a goods train occurred around 7pm near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar.
Latest updates on the Odisha train tragedy:
1. So far, 288 people have died and over 800 have been reported injured in the accident, said KS Anand, chief public relations officer of the South Eastern Railway.
2. The rescue operation was wrapped up Saturday afternoon and restoration work started. With traffic on the route disrupted, over 150 trains were cancelled, diverted or short-terminated.
3. Preliminary investigations have revealed that a signal was given to Coromandel Express to enter the main line but it was taken off and the train entered the loop line and crashed into a goods train parked there.
4. The railways has initiated a high-level probe into the train that will be headed by the commissioner of railway safety, South Eastern Circle. While sources had earlier said a signalling failure could be the reason behind the crash, railway officials said it is not yet clear if Coromandel Express entered the loop line and hit the stationary goods train or it first derailed and then hit the parked train after entering the loop line.
5. The preliminary inquiry report said the signal "was given and taken off for the up main line for train number 12841 but the train entered the up loop line and dashed with the goods train which was on the loop line and derailed". "In the meantime, (train number) 12864 passed through the down main line and two coaches of it derailed and capsized."
6. "I do not have words to express my pain... No one would be spared and strong action would be taken against those found guilty. Instructions have been given to ensure proper and speedy investigation of the tragedy," Modi said after visiting a hospital in Balasore where injured people are being treated.
7. As many as 1,175 people were admitted at various hospitals, including private ones, out of which 793 have been released and 382 were undergoing treatment, Odisha government officials said at around 8pm Saturday.
8. The railways has announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, ₹2 lakh for those grievously injured and ₹50,000 for those with minor injuries. Modi has announced an additional ex gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. Other states too have announced assistance.
9. Vaishnaw and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee disagreed on the death toll in the Odisha train accident with their argument caught on camera. Vaishnaw, who was standing with Banerjee while she was interacting with the media, sought to correct her when she suggested that the death toll could be as high as 500.
10. The civil aviation ministry asked airlines to monitor and take necessary action in case of any abnormal surge in airfares to and from Bhubaneswar, in view of the train accident in the state. It also any cancellation and rescheduling on flights due to the incident may be done without penal charges.
(With inputs from agencies)