Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Launch Event Cancelled After Coromandel Express Derails in Odisha

PM Modi was scheduled to flag off the Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express through video link on Saturday morning.

Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express: The Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat launch event at Madgaon station was on Friday cancelled after the Coromandel Express derailed in Odisha’s Balasore district. PM Modi was scheduled to flag off the Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express through video link on Saturday morning while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was to remain present at Madgaon station for the ceremony.

After the train derailment incident was reported, Vaishnaw was now heading for the accident site in Odisha and the ceremony was cancelled, officials confirmed to news ahency PTI.

More than 50 passengers dead and nearly 350 were injured as a three-way accident involving Bengaluru-Howrah superfast express, the Coromandel Express and goods train on three separate tracks occurred at Bahanagar in Odisha’s Balasore district.

After the incident, an additional rescue team of Odisha Fire and Emergency Service comprising 26 members with advance rescue equipment of Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy Bhubaneswar moved to the train accident site for rescue operations.

Several coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Bahanaga station in Odisha’s Balasore after hitting a goods train. The injured have been shifted to Soro CHC, Gopalpur CHC, and Khantapada PHC, said Chief Secretary, Odisha.

According to the Railway Spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident took place at around 7pm on Friday.

“At around 7pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Baleswar and fell on the opposite track. After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah dashed into those derailed coaches resulting in the derailment of its 3-4 coaches,” Sharma told ANI.

NDRF’s first team of 22 members from Balasore Railway Station (BLS) has already reached the site. Another team from Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) of 32 members started half an hour before, said officials.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the state minister Pramila Mallik and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) to reach the accident site immediately. Minister and SRC are heading towards the incident place.

After the accident, West Bengal CM Mamata shared emergency numbers after the Odisha train accident. “We are coordinating with the Odisha government and South Eastern Railway for our people’s sake.”

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