Odisha's triple train crash: All you need to know in a nutshell

⚫ At least 200 people were killed and more than 900 injured in a horrific train crash on Friday (June 2) in Odisha’s Balasore.

⚫ The accident happened around 7 pm.

⚫ The train involved are Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train.

⚫ The Railways has initiated a high-level probe into the train crash.

⚫ Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who is now at the accident site, said the main focus now is rescue and relief operations.

⚫So what happened? Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah train travelling to Howrah derailed at Bahanaga Baazar in Balasore district and fell on adjacent tracks.

⚫ The derailed coaches collided with 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and its coaches capsized too.

⚫ As per officials, A1, A2, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8 B9 bogies of Coromandel Express were derailed.

⚫ Over 350 people have been admitted to different hospitals across the district.

⚫ Fifty doctors from different hospitals in neighbouring districts have been rushed to the spot to treat the injured at the accident site

⚫ Over 100 ambulances have been brought in to remove the wounded.

⚫ All government and private hospitals in Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurhbanj, Cuttack and Bhubaneshwar have been put on alert to receive the injured.

⚫ Multiple teams of NDRF are already there at the site and some more are being rushed.

⚫Villagers were the first to reach the site and try and help the passengers, pulling out the wounded and the dead from bogies, some of which were nothing but a mangled heap of steel.

⚫ Villagers used bikes, cars to ferry injured to nearby hospitals

⚫Gas cutters are being used to open bogies and bathrooms to rescue people.

⚫Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said he was rushing to the accident site, while Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is expected to be also at the site by tomorrow morning.

⚫ Many long-distance trains have been cancelled. List here

⚫ Expressing distress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said rescue operations were underway at the site and all possible assistance was being given to those affected.

⚫ The Odisha government has issued helpline 06782-262286. The railway helplines are 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore) and 044- 25330952 (Chennai).

⚫ Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said he was deputing a four-member team to coordinate the rescue of Tamils on the train.

⚫ Transport Minister SS Sivasankar will lead the team to help Tamils affected by the tragedy

⚫Arrangements have already been made at Chennai central railway station to receive injured and other passengers.

⚫ Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Udhayanidhi Stalin is also expected to leave for Odisha

⚫ Tamil Nadu DGP Sylendra Babu said state officers are in touch with Odisha counterparts for quick relief and other measures.

⚫ Sources also say centenary celebrations of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi, scheduled to begin tomorrow (June 3) may be called off in the wake of the horrific tragedy.

⚫ The West Bengal government is rushing a team to the spot to help the Odisha government and Railway authorities to assist rescue operations, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

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