Odisha Train Accident: Rescue ops complete; 2 trains with 1,200 stranded passengers to arrive at Howarh

The toll in the disastrous railway accident in Odisha has risen to 238 and rescue operations at the site have been completed, a South Eastern Railway official said on Saturday.

"The number of casualties in Friday's railway accident has increased to 261. Another 650 injured passengers are being treated at various hospitals in Odisha," SER spokesperson Aditya Chowdhury said.

An enquiry into the accident will be held by the commissioner of railway safety (CRS), South Eastern Circle, the official said.

The train crash, one of the deadliest in the country, took place in Balasore district about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar around 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe. Three trains - the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train were involved in the accident

Two trains carrying around 1,200 stranded passengers of the trains involved in the gruesome accident at Bahanaga Bazar in Odisha's Balasore district will arrive at Howrah on Saturday, a South Eastern Railway official said.

While one train is coming with 1,000 passengers, another is on its way from Balasore to Howrah with around 200 stranded passengers, he said.

Necessary assistance along with food and water will be provided to the passengers at Kharagpur and Howrah stations.

At least 238 people were killed and over 900 injured in the train crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train on Friday.

One train is also going to Chennai with 195 passengers and it will also board passengers of Coromandel Express at stations on the way, the official added.

With PTI Inputs