Global Courant
NEW DELHI, India — Rescue workers have ended the search for survivors following the death toll from a train crash that killed nearly 300 people and injured hundreds more in one of the worst rail disasters in India’s history, officials said.
At least 288 people died on Friday and more than 800 were injured when two passenger trains derailed, trapping people under mutilated carriages and overturned railcars, Indian Railways said Saturday afternoon.
Injured passengers were taken to local hospitals from the crash site in Balasore district, eastern Odisha state, about 220 kilometers southwest of Kolkata.
On Saturday, 1175 patients were admitted to private hospitals and 793 of them have been discharged. Of the remaining 382 in hospitals, two are in critical condition, while the rest are stable.
Rescuers gather around damaged carriages at the scene of the three-train collision accident near Balasore, eastern Odisha state, on Saturday.DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP – Getty Images
Sudhanshu Sarangi, director of the Odisha fire service, said some survivors were in serious condition and the chances of finding more survivors were diminishing.
“A crane has arrived, we will pull up (train cars) one by one, but we do not expect any survivors among them. We are discouraged, we had never seen so many bodies in our lives,” he said.
Survivors spoke of the horror of the moment of the crash. “It was moving smoothly but suddenly the accident happened and within the span of 30, 40 seconds we see so many people injured, dead and crying for help everywhere,” Anubhav Das, 27, from Cuttack in Odisha, who was on board one of the derailed trains, NBC News reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the crash site on Saturday and saw victims in hospital, said those responsible will be held accountable.
“It’s a painful and heartbreaking incident,” he said. “The government will spare no effort in treating the injured. The people who have lost their lives cannot be brought back to life, but the government is with their families in this time of grief.”
“It is a serious incident for the government and instructions have been issued for an investigation from every angle,” he continued. “Those found guilty will be severely punished.”
Modi praised civilians who “immersed themselves” in helping rescue operations after the crash.
“The courage and compassion shown by the people of our country in the face of adversity is truly inspiring,” he said. tweeted on Saturday. “As soon as the train crash happened in Odisha, people immersed themselves in assisting rescue operations. Several people lined up to donate blood.”
“I commend every single person who is part of the teams from the railways, NDRF, ODRAF, local authorities, police, firefighters, volunteers and others who work tirelessly on site and strengthen rescue operations. Proud of their dedication,” he added in another tweet.
Tributes and condolences pour in from world leaders and religious figures, including the Dalai Lama.
Hundreds of rescuers climbed over rubble and cut through mangled steel to free survivors. They were assisted by medical and technical teams from the Indian Armed Forces who had fled from multiple bases, an army spokesman told the Indian news agency ANI.
“Restoration work has started on one side, the most important thing right now is to clear the area and stay away from the machines that will be deployed during the restoration process,” he said.
He added that the government would launch an investigation into the “root cause” of the accident.
There were approximately 1,257 reserved passengers on the Coromandal Express, of which between 10 and 12 cars derailed and 1,039 reserved passengers on the Yashwantpur Express, which crashed into debris from the Coromandal Express and also derailed at around 6:55 p.m. (9:25 a.m. ET) on Friday, a government spokesman told the ANI.
Families of the dead will receive 1 million rupees ($12,000), while those seriously injured will receive 200,000 rupees ($2,400), with 50,000 rupees ($607) for minor injuries, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Twitter. Some state governments have also announced compensation.
Previous train accidents have been attributed to human error or the use of outdated signaling equipment.
“I extend my condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones,” the Dalai Lama said in a statement, adding that “as a sign of solidarity” his trust would make a donation for medical treatment and relief efforts.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “The images and reports of the train crash in Odisha, India break my heart. I extend my deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and I keep those injured in my thoughts. In this difficult time, the Canadians stand with the people of India.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Turkish Foreign Ministry also expressed their condolences.
India’s worst rail accident to date occurred in August 1995 when two trains collided near New Delhi, killing 358 people.
In November 2016, more than 100 people were killed when 14 carriages of a passenger train rolled off the track in the north of the country.
Ravi Mishra reported from New Delhi and Leila Sackur from London.
