Nearly 300 people died and over 900 were injured on Friday, June 2, after a collision occurred between two trains in Orrisa state of India.
As per news reports, the collision happened between Coromandel Express and the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express.
Earlier on Saturday, 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), Southeast Circle. The Commissioner Railway Safety comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
According to Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena, a goods train was also involved in the accident. Officials said on Friday several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Express derailed near Baleswar. These derailed coaches fell on an adjacent track and collided with the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express.
A massive rescue operation that was started on Friday night at the accident site in Bahanaga Bazar near Balasore in Orrisa to pull out people trapped in the derailed coaches is still on.
The train mishap is considered one of the deadliest train crashes in India in recent times.
Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir expressed grief over the incident. “The images & survivor accounts from the railway crash site in Odisha are horrific. The accident has left countless individuals scarred & families bereaved. Words are poor consolation at a time like this, but I’d like to convey my sympathies to the families of the deceased & prayers for those injured. May the almighty give them strength,” he tweeted.