Odisha train accident: Uttrakhand CM expresses anguish over "heart-rending" mishap

"The train accident in Odisha is heart-rending. I pray to God that may the soul of the deceased rest in peace and the bereaved families have strength in this hour of grief," said Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday expressed anguish over the Odisha triple train accident that claimed the lives of 238 people. The death toll in the Odisha train accident involving two express trains -- Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express -- and a goods train in Balasore has risen to 238, South Eastern Railway said on Saturday.

"The train accident in Odisha is heart-rending. I pray to God that may the soul of the deceased rest in peace and the bereaved families have strength in this hour of grief," said Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami while talking to ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a high-level meeting with railway officials on Saturday to take stock of the situation in Odisha.

Around 650 injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro, the South Eastern Railway said. Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, on the way to Howrah, derailed and fell on an adjacent track. The 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express coming from the opposite direction on a parallel track rammed into the derailed coaches. Some Coromandel Express coaches derailed and hit the stationary goods train on the third track.

According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident took place around 7 pm on Friday. Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation. He has ordered a detailed high-level inquiry into the incident.

The rail safety commissioner will also conduct an independent inquiry, Vaishnaw said on Saturday."Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from the district administration," the union railway minister said. (ANI)

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