India: More than 207 Killed in Rail Disaster

The incident involved two passenger trains and one freight train on Friday night in eastern India
A horrific train disaster involving three trains near Balasore in eastern India on Friday left at least 207 people dead and 900 injured, according to a latest provisional assessment.

“We have already counted 207 deaths and the death toll will rise further,” Sudhanshu Sarangi, director general of the Odisha State Fire Department, told AFP from the scene of the accident. “Relief efforts are ongoing at the site and will take us a few more hours to complete.”

According to regional officials quoted by the PTI news agency, a first passenger train, the Howrah Superfast Express, derailed at around 7 p.m. local time (3 p.m. Paris time) near Balasore, about 200 kilometers from Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha state.

“We expect the relief operation to continue at least until tomorrow morning. For our part, we have prepared all the major public and private hospitals, from the site of the accident to the state capital, to take care of the injured,” said SK Panda, a spokesman for the state authorities.

He said “75 ambulances” and more than 100 doctors had already been dispatched and “numerous buses” had also been sent to transport both injured passengers and survivors.