India is mourning one of its deadliest train crashes, which took place on Friday night in Odisha. The tragic accident killed at least 288 people, involving three trains – Bengaluru-Howrah Yesvantpur Express, Coromandel Express, and a goods train – at Bahanaga Bazar Station in Balasore district. A high-level committee, headed by the chief commissioner of railway safety, South Eastern Circle, has been set up by Indian Railways to investigate the cause of the mishap.
Railway officials believe that the Coromandal Express was sent onto a side track due to a potential signaling error, resulting in a collision with a freight train. The impact of the collision caused the wreckage to derail an express train heading north from Bengaluru to Kolkata that was also passing the site. A railway official stated that if the Bengaluru-Howrah train had been running on time, it would have crossed the spot before the Coromandel’s derailment, and the death toll would have been lower.
India has one of the world’s largest rail networks, with Friday’s crash ranking as its third-worst, and the deadliest since 1995. Condolences have poured in from around the world, including from US President Joe Biden, who expressed his sadness and heartfelt condolences to India, saying, As the recovery effort continues, we will hold the people of India in our thoughts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site to express his condolences and ensure that no one responsible would be spared. The Indian government faces the task of ensuring the safety of its railway network, one that remains vital to millions of its citizens. Until then, India remains in mourning for the hundreds of lives lost in one of its deadliest train crashes in recent memory.
