At least 261 people have been killed, and over 900 injured as two passenger trains, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, derailed in Odisha’s Balasore late Friday evening. A goods train was also hit in the process.

The accident took place around 7 pm yesterday when a passenger train hit the derailed coaches of another train followed by a collision with a goods train causing a crash of several coaches.

Rescue operations continued overnight as workers and local people tried to pull out bodies and survivors from the mangled wreckage.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishav visited the accident site and took stock of the situation

Visuals from the crash site showed smashed train coaches torn open and twisted train tracks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation in relation to the Odisha train accident. Modi is scheduled to visit the accident site in Balasore and also meet the injured at the Cuttack hospital. Home Minister Amit Shah and senior government officials attended the meeting as Modi took stock of the situation

Emergency helpline number has been released by the Odisha Government  06782-262286

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