DEATH TOLL IN ORISSA TRIPLE TRAIN ACCIDENT RISES TO 280, ARMY FORCES JOIN FOR RESCUE OPERATION OF THE TRAPPED PEOPLE

Nearly 300 people have died and over 900 were injured in an accident on Friday, June 2, after a collision occurred between the Coromandel Express and the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express.

Earlier on Saturday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the accident site and ordered a high-level probe to look into the exact reason behind the rail accident. The inquiry will be conducted by Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South East Circle. The Commissioner Railway Safety comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

     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, and up to three coaches of the second train also derailed, Sharma said.

      The railway ministry has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased, Rs. 2 lakh to those severely injured, and Rs. 50,000 to those who sustained with minor injuries.