No casualties from Karnataka in Odisha train tragedy, rescue team dispatched: Police official

Karnataka Railways DIG, Shashi Kumar, has confirmed that all passengers from Karnataka who were on the two trains that met with an accident near Balasore in Odisha are safe. The train that originated from Karnataka also sustained damage, with three out of the 23 coaches affected. There is no information as yet on whether any passengers from the state were in these coaches. Rail authorities in Odisha are in contact with their Karnataka counterparts. Helplines have been set up at various locations, and no passengers from Karnataka are known to have sustained injuries or died. The coaches in which people from Karnataka travelled were not damaged in the accident, and no false information should be disseminated, the DIG said. A team of officers comprising a Deputy Superintendent of Police and others would be dispatched to the accident spot. Reports indicate that 110 passengers travelled in the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (Bengaluru)- Howrah Express train, and all of them escaped unhurt in the tragedy. The passengers were from Kalasa in Chikkamagaluru district and travelled in S5, S6 and S7 coaches from Bengaluru. After the engine was replaced, all of them were transferred to the first coach after the engine. The last four coaches were seriously damaged after being hit by another train.