Odisha train accident: Death toll rises to 261, rescue operations complete

The train crash, one of the deadliest in the country, took place in Balasore district about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar around 7 pm on Friday

Kolkata: The toll in the disastrous railway accident in Odisha has risen to 261 and rescue operations at the site have been completed, a South Eastern Railway official said on Saturday.

“The number of casualties in Friday’s railway accident has increased to 261. Another 650 injured passengers are being treated at various hospitals in Odisha,” SER spokesperson Aditya Chowdhury said.

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An enquiry into the accident will be held by the commissioner of railway safety (CRS), South Eastern circle, the official said.

The train crash, one of the deadliest in the country, took place in Balasore district about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar around 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe. Three trains – the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train were involved in the accident.