Details of 2 Bangladeshis injured in Indian train accident not yet available

Condition of two Bangladeshi nationals, who were reportedly injured in the Odisha train crash on Friday, could not be know so far as the authorities had been struggling to conduct rescue operations.

At least 261 people have died and more than 900 injured in India’s worst- ever rail accident in Balasore of the eastern state of Odisha at around 7.20 pm on Friday.

Local journalists covering the incident said that they have heard that two Bangladeshi nationals were rescued from the accident site with multiple injuries and then sent to hospital, but they could not gather details on their conditions.

One local correspondent said that they have heard that the condition of the two Bangladeshi nationals were serious as chances of their survival are very low. But they could not give details.

Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi and Deputy mission in Kolkata are closely monitoring the situation and making hectic efforts to know the details of the injured Bangladeshis.

Bangladesh Deputy high commission official in Kolkata today confirmed that both the Bangladeshis were going to Chennai boarding on ‘Coramandel Express’ train from Shalimar station near Kolkata.

However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the train accident site in Odisha’s Balasore later today and meet with injured people at hospitals in Cuttack, his office tweeted.

He also called a high-level meeting with railway officials to discuss rescue, treatment and other matters over the accident involving multiple trains.

The crash involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train. The rescue operations are on and all hospitals in the nearby districts have been put on alert.

Reports said that three NDRF units, 4 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force units, over 15 fire rescue teams, 30 doctors, 200 police personnel and 60 ambulances have been mobilised to the accident site.

Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today reached the accident site in Odisha’s Balasore to take stock of the situation and assured to conduct a detailed high-level inquiry into the mishap.

“A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry,” Vaishnaw said, adding that the government’s focus is on rescue and relief operations.