Video Editor: Varun Sharma
Video Producer: Shohini Bose
At least 15 passengers were injured as five coaches of the Mumbai-Bhubaneswar Lokmanya Tilak Express derailed and three more were displaced after colliding with a goods train amid heavy fog near Cuttack in Odisha on Thursday, 16 January, railway officials said.
Railway officials had earlier said that 25 passengers were injured in the incident but later officers who reached the site reported that four passengers were found to have suffered major injuries and 11 had received minor injuries.
Passengers with major injuries have been sent to Cuttack Medical College. All passengers are stated to be out of danger.
Officials said the accident happened when the passenger train hit the guard van of a good train around 7 am between Salagaon and Nergundi stations.
The officials said there was heavy fog at the site but it was not clear what led to the accident. The speedometer of both the trains have been seized for inquiry, East Coast Railway Spokesperson JP Mishra said.
Buses have been arranged for all remaining passengers to move towards their destination.
Cuttack is around 10-12 km away and Bhubaneswar(Terminating station) is 35 km.
The accident disrupted train services in the area.
Five trains have been affected due to the accident where restoration work in underway. These include the Bhubaneswar-Mumbai LTT SF Express, the Puri-Rourkela Express, Dhanbad-Bhubaneshwar Rajyarani Express which have all been diverted via Naraj.
“East Coast Railway acknowledges with deep gratitude help of nearby locals and villagers who have displayed great humanitarian values and come to the rescue of injured passengers,” Mishra said.
Helpline Numbers Set
In the wake of the derailment, the CentralRailway has set up helplines at five stations to provide updates about the accident to relatives of the train passengers.
The helplines have been set up at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar and LTT in Mumbai and at neighbouring Thane and Kalyan stations.
The helpline numbers are CSMT- 55993 (railway number) and 022-22624040, Dadar- 57390and 022-24114836, LTT- 62606 and 022-25280005,Thane- 61290 and 022-25334840, andKalyan- 63360 and 0251-2311499.
“Since the train started from Mumbai, we have set up additional helplines so that relatives of the passengers travelling by the train can get updates,” Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar said.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)