Train accident causing more than 1,000 casualties: Survivor recounts a haunting moment of life and death

On June 2, a catastrophic accident caused by a passenger train collision with a cargo ship occurred, causing more than 1,000 casualties. The scene of the accident makes everyone look haunted, the survivors of the incident are still in shock.

The train collision happened around 7pm local time in Odisha's Balasore district, India when the Howrah Superfast Express train, traveling from Bangalore to Howrah, derailed and entangled the Coromandel Express train, running from Kolkata to Chennai. Coromandel Express derailed carriages then crashed into the carriages of a freight train.

These three accidents caused more than 1,000 casualties, as of noon on June 3 (Vietnam time) more than 200 people died and 900 people were injured. It was the deadliest railway accident in India in more than a decade.

The Odisha state government said the death toll is likely to continue to rise. Pictures from the scene showed rescuers climbing onto one of the overturned trains to find survivors. "I was at the scene and I could see blood, broken limbs and dead people all around me," a witness told Reuters by phone.

Survivors of the incident tell of the moment three Indian trains collided. Like most evenings, Ashok Samal was resting at the end of the day near the railway tracks in the village of Bahanaga when he heard a shrill crash. The salesman started running to the tracks and saw a pile of overturned carriages piled on top of each other.

"There were loud screams and blood everywhere," he said. Samal said some of the stranded people cried out for help. "I saw some dead people trapped under the overturned carriages," he said.

Surviving passengers were horrified to see the bodies of victims everywhere after the accident: "A shrill sound was heard. Our train jerked and stood still. I looked out and I saw four carriages derailed, a lot of people were trapped underneath," said Vidhan Jena, a passenger on the train.

This passenger said he was shocked when he saw the body lying at the scene, amid the cries of the wounded. "It was a horrible sight," he said.

Swapan Kumar, a passenger on carriage S5 of the Shalimar - Chennai express train, said he was sleeping in his bed when "all of a sudden everyone fell over". "I ran out of the carriage and saw a lot of people trapped, screaming," Kumar said.

"I was woken up when the train derailed. About 10-15 people fell on top of me. I injured my arm and neck," said one survivor on the Bengaluru - Howrah train. "When I got off the train, I saw many people with broken bodies everywhere, some people with disfigured faces."

"Locals do their best for us. They not only rescue the stranded people but also help get our luggage, refuel us" - 1 passenger added.

Pictures from the scene showed rescuers climbing onto the ship to search for survivors. Odisha state officials warned that casualties would continue to rise as many people were still trapped in the carriages. Hundreds of young people lined up outside a public hospital in Soro city, Odisha state to wait for blood donations to help the victims.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw about the tragedy in Odisha. He extended his condolences to the families of the victims and injured. The Odisha government announced that June 3 will be dedicated to the memory of the victims. The family of someone who died in the accident will be supported more than 12,100 USD.

India has the fourth largest railway network in the world, with a total length of more than 126,000 km. The system is an important part of India's modern history and economic development, experts say.

However, the railway system in India suffers from a number of problems such as poor maintenance and deteriorating infrastructure. In 2021, India recorded nearly 18,000 railway accidents, causing more than 16,400 deaths, most of which were recorded as "falling from a train or collision with people on the tracks".

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