Officials from the South Western Railway (SWR) stated that 994 reserved passengers and an estimated 300 unreserved passengers had boarded the train number 12864 SMVB-HWH at the Sir M Visveswaraya Terminal, Bengaluru. The train was involved in a major accident near Bahanaga Station in Odisha’s Balasore and two passengers are feared dead. The accident occurred after several coaches of the Coromandel Express skidded off the track and the Howrah-bound train crashed into it. Over 270 deaths have been reported from the accident so far, most of whom are passengers from the Coromandel Express.
As of 9 am on Saturday, June 3, the SWR has officially reported no casualties from the Yeswantpur train. However, Railway sources said two passengers on the train are feared dead. “There are no casualties reported from the train’s reserved coaches. We are looking for information from the rescue teams in Odisha about information on the people from the unreserved coaches,” a railways official told TNM. Many people are still trapped under the debris of the horrific accident.
Officials said that all victims have been taken to different hospitals in Balasore and Cuttack in Odisha, but there is no official count of how many passengers died on each train. The railway official said that the next task was to identify bodies and to ensure that they are handed over to the right family members.
A rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and Odisha Fire Service along with several volunteer organisations kept the search for survivors and bodies trapped in the heap of mangled coaches going on throughout the night. The state government has mobilised rescue teams from adjoining districts, while Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has solicited the help of the Air Force in the rescue operations.