Two passenger trains derailed in India on Friday, killing at least 50 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged coaches, officials said.
India Train Derailment MANDATORY CREDIT- Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains that derailed in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Friday, June 2, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing at least 13 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged coaches, officials said. About 400 people were injured and taken to hospitals, and the cause of the accident was under investigation, officials said. (Press Trust of India via AP)
Press Trust of India via AP
India Train Derailment MANDATORY CREDIT- People inspect the site of passenger trains that derailed in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Friday, June 2, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing at least 13 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged coaches, officials said. About 400 people were injured and taken to hospitals, and the cause of the accident was under investigation, officials said. (Press Trust of India via AP)
Press Trust of India via AP
India Train Derailment MANDATORY CREDIT- Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains that derailed in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Friday, June 2, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing at least 13 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged coaches, officials said. About 400 people were injured and taken to hospitals, and the cause of the accident was under investigation, officials said. (Press Trust of India via AP)
Press Trust of India via AP
India Train Derailment Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars officials said. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
India Train Derailment Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023.Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars officials said. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
India Train Derailment Bodies recovered from passenger trains lay on the track at the site of an accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
INDIA-TRENES DESCARRILADOS Cadáveres recuperados de dos trenes de pasajeros yacen el sábado 3 de junio de 2023 en el sitio donde ocurrió un accidente, en el distrito Balasore, estado de Orisha, en el este de la India. (AP Foto)
AP Foto
India Train Derailment Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023.Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
India Train Derailment Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023.Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
India Train Derailment Bodies recovered from passenger trains lay at the site of an accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars officials said. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
APTOPIX India Train Derailment Rescuers work at the site of passenger trains accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
India Train Derailment Bodies recovered from passenger trains lay on the track at the site of an accident, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
India Train Derailment Injured passengers of trains accident sit at a local hospital, in Balasore district, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 200 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said. (AP Photo)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Rescuers waded through piles of debris and wreckage to pull out bodies and free people after two passenger trains derailed Friday night in India, killing more than 230 people and leaving hundreds of others trapped inside more than a dozen mangled rail cars, in one of the country’s deadliest train crashes in decades.
The accident, which happened about 220 kilometers (137 miles) southwest of Kolkata, led to a chaotic scene as rescuers climbed atop the wrecked trains to break open doors and windows using cutting torches to free survivors.
About 900 people were injured in the accident in Balasore district in the eastern state of Odisha, said P.K. Jena, the state’s top administrative official. The cause was under investigation.
Ten to 12 coaches of one train derailed, and debris from some of the mangled coaches fell onto a nearby track, said Amitabh Sharma, a railroad ministry spokesperson.
The debris was hit by another passenger train coming from the opposite direction, causing up to three coaches of the second train to also derail, Sharma said.
A third train carrying freight was also involved, the Press Trust of India reported, but there was no immediate confirmation from railroad authorities. PTI said some of the derailed passenger coaches hit cars from the freight train.
The death toll rose steadily throughout the night. As dawn approached on Saturday, Jena said that at least 233 people were dead. In the aftermath, scores of dead bodies lay on the ground near the train tracks covered by white sheets, as locals and rescuers raced to help survivors.
Television footage on Saturday morning showed teams of rescuers and police sifting through the ruins as the search operation carried on. Scores of people also showed up at a local hospital to donate blood.
Officials said 1,200 rescuers worked with 115 ambulances, 50 buses and 45 mobile health units through the night at the accident site. Saturday was declared as a day of mourning in the state.
Villagers said they rushed to the site to evacuate people after hearing a loud sound created by the train coaches going off the tracks.
“The local people really went out on a limb to help us. They not only helped in pulling out people, but retrieved our luggage and got us water,” PTI cited Rupam Banerjee, a survivor, as saying.
Passenger Vandana Kaleda said that inside the train during the derailment people were “falling on each other” as her coach shook violently and veered off the tracks.
“As I stepped out of the washroom, suddenly the train tilted. I lost my balance. … Everything went topsy turvy. People started falling on each other and I was shocked and could not understand what happened. My mind stopped working,” she said, adding she felt lucky to survive.
Another survivor who did not give his name said he was sleeping when the impact woke him up. He said he saw other passengers with broken limbs and disfigured faces.
The derailed Coromandel Express was traveling from Howrah in West Bengal state to Chennai, the capital of southern Tamil Nadu state, PTI said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his thoughts were with the bereaved families.
“May the injured recover soon,” tweeted Modi, who said he had spoken to the railway minister and that “all possible assistance” was being offered.
