Three trains collide in India, more than 50 people die

Two passenger trains and a cargo train collided in India, killing at least 50 people and injuring more than 500.

The Bengaluru-Howrah Express passenger train derailed in Balasore, Odisha, eastern India, on the evening of June 2. Several carriages overturned and crushed the adjacent railway track.

The Shalimar-Chennai Express was travelling on this stretch of track. Due to failure to brake in time, the Shalimar-Chennai train hit the overturned coaches of the preceding train head-on, causing some of its coaches to also overturn and collide with a nearby freight train.

One passenger said he was sleeping when the accident happened. When he woke up, he saw more than 10 people on top of him. He later crawled out of the train car, suffering injuries to his arms and neck.

Three trains collide in India — The scene of a train accident in Odisha state, eastern India, on the evening of June 2. Video : *Al Jazeera*

More than 60 ambulances were rushed to the spot. The Odisha Emergency Response Force (ODRAF) deployed four rescue teams, while the National Emergency Response Force (NDRF) deployed three teams to rescue the victims.

"Around 50 people have died and more than 500 have been injured. Our top priority is to rescue passengers and provide medical assistance to the injured," said Pradeep Jena, a senior official in Odisha state. The government of neighboring West Bengal state has also dispatched a team of experts to help.

A train carriage overturned in a three-train collision in Odisha state, India, late on June 2. Photo: India Today — A train carriage overturned in Odisha state, India, on the evening of June 2. Photo: *India Today*

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the tragedy in Odisha. He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and the injured and asked the Minister to take stock of the situation on the ground.

"The rescue operation has been activated and all assistance is being provided," Mr Modi said.

India’s rail network has deteriorated in some areas due to age and lack of maintenance. In 2021, India recorded more than 16,000 deaths in nearly 18,000 train accidents, most of them involving people falling off trains or being hit by trains on the tracks. One of the worst tragedies in the past 10 years was a train derailment in Uttar Pradesh in November 2016, which killed more than 140 people.