03-06-2023 : The tragic train accident in Bahanaga, Odisha’s Balasore district, has resulted in a devastating loss of life, with the death toll reaching 244 individuals. This incident stands as one of the deadliest train accidents in India’s history. As the magnitude of the catastrophe became apparent, the Chief Secretary of Odisha, P K Jena, initially reported the death count as 233 and estimated the number of injured to be around 900. However, Balasore Collector D B Shinde later confirmed that 244 bodies had been recovered from the accident site, located approximately 200 kilometers away from the state capital.
Along with senior railway officials, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), and ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) teams, Railway Minister Aswani Vaishnaw arrived at the scene of the tragedy in Bahanaga station on Saturday morning to assess the situation. The Railway Board Chairman, Anil Kumar Lahoti, was also in present. An immediate high-level investigation into the disaster was launched by the railway minister.
More than 900 passengers have reportedly been saved, and they are currently being treated at numerous hospitals, according to the most recent report. Sadly, because one general bogie was partially buried at the scene of the accident, the number of casualties is predicted to climb. There are ongoing efforts to recover the bodies of this specific coach.
The retrieved bodies from the derailed coaches have been temporarily placed in two schools in Bahanaga. Subsequently, the corpses will be transported to local hospitals for post-mortem examinations.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared a state mourning for Saturday, with no official celebrations taking place throughout the day. Chief Minister Patnaik, along with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, is scheduled to visit the accident site on Saturday morning.
To gather crucial information and assess the overall situation, a technical team from the Railway conducted an aerial survey of the accident site early in the morning.
The Chief Secretary revealed that three trains were involved in the accident: the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, Yeshawantpur-Howrah Express, and a goods train. The mishap caused the derailment or capsizing of 15 coaches and one engine. After colliding with a goods train, ten coaches of the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express capsized, while another coach and the engine derailed and fell onto the opposite track. Subsequently, the Howrah-bound Yeshwanthpur-Howrah Express collided with the derailed coaches. This collision resulted in the derailment and capsizing of two GS coaches and two bogies from the latter train.
The aftermath of this tragic incident serves as a somber reminder of the need for comprehensive safety measures and diligent investigations to prevent similar accidents in the future.
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