Chennai : Survivors of Odisha train tragedy, after being administered preliminary care, were transported via special train to Chennai. A total of 250 people arrived by special train at 5 am at MGR Railway station in Chennai where they were received by Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister KKSS Ramachandran and Health Minister MA Subramaniam.
Those with injuries were shifted to various hospitals up on arrival. All essential medical facilities have been arranged for jointly by the Tamil Nadu Health dpt and the Southern Railways, the minister informed. The arrivals includes Malayalis. Those uninjured shall be reached home today with help of NORKA.
The death toll in the India’s worst train accident this century has climbed to 288 and the number of injured are more than a thousand. 160 bodies remain to be identified. According to sources, fatality numbers could rise.
The accident
Several coaches of the Shalimar-Chenna Coromandel Express fell off to adjacent track and hit a stationary goods train at about 7 pm Friday in Balasore district. The carriages of the goods train ended up on the opposite track where another train - the Howrah Superfast Express traveling from Yesvantpur to Howrah - hit the overturned carriages.
The coaches were mangled and wrecked near wholly from force with which the trains collided. More than 200 ambulances and hundreds of doctors, nurses and rescue personnel were deployed at the scene. According to Director General of Odisha Fire Rescue Services, 288 have died so far. .The figure will likely go higher.
A day of mourning has been announced in the state.
