At least 200 killed, hundreds injured in train crash in India
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on June 3, 2023
(INDIA) — At least 200 people have been killed and hundreds more injured in a train accident in India, as the death toll continues to rise, officials said.
The crash occurred Friday night in Odisha, a state in eastern India, and involved three trains, according to Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena. Several cars of a passenger train derailed in the incident, he said.
“Death toll in the train accident increasing,” Jena said on social media, noting that 207 people were killed and approximately 900 injured in the accident, per reporting from the Special Relief Organization, which deals with disaster management in the state.
More than 200 ambulances have responded to the scene of the “violent train accident,” Jena tweeted.
Rescue teams have been mobilized from various parts of the country, according to Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology.
Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation. Rescue ops are underway at the site of the mishap and all…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 2, 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “distressed” by the accident.
“In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families,” Modi tweeted. “May the injured recover soon.”
Saturday has been declared a day of mourning in Odisha due to the rail accident, which occurred near Bahanaga.
Ex-gratia payments will be offered to “victims of this unfortunate train accident in Odisha,” Vaishnaw tweeted.
Families who suffered a death will receive 10 lakhs — equivalent to about 12,000 USD — while those who suffered “grievous” injuries will receive two lakhs — about 2,400 USD — according to Vaishnaw.
People with minor injuries will receive 50,000 rupees — about 600 USD — Vaishnaw said.
ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.
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