New Delhi June 3 (BNA): Rescuers have found no more survivors in the wreckage of two overturned and mangled passenger trains that derailed in eastern India, killing more than 280 people and injuring hundreds in one of the country’s deadliest rail accidents in decades. . Saturday said.
Chaotic scenes after the derailment erupted Friday night about 220 kilometers (137 miles) southwest of Kolkata, as rescuers climbed over wrecked trains to smash open doors and windows with cutting torches, the Associated Press reports.
The death toll rose steadily throughout the night. Dozens of bodies lay covered in white sheets on the ground near the tracks as local residents and rescue workers raced to help survivors. Air Force soldiers and helicopters participated in this effort.
By 10 pm (on Friday) we managed to rescue the survivors. Then it was a matter of picking up the bodies,” Sudhanshu Sarangi, director of the Odisha state fire and emergency department, told the Associated Press. “This is very tragic. I’ve never seen anything like this in my career.”
He said that at least 280 bodies had been recovered overnight and into Saturday morning. About 900 people were injured and the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met officials and took stock of the tragedy before heading to Odisha to get a first-hand look at the incident and visit people receiving treatment in hospitals.
Amitabh Sharma, a spokesman for the Ministry of Railways, said the rescue work is nearing completion. He said the railway authorities would start clearing the debris to repair the track and resume train operations.
PK Gina, the state’s top administrative official, said about 200 seriously injured people were admitted to specialized hospitals in other cities of Odisha. He added that 200 others have left the hospital after receiving medical care, while the rest are being treated in local hospitals. Dozens of people also came to donate blood.
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