Odisha train accident LIVE Updates: Death toll climbs to 288, restoration work underway

Odisha triple train accident updates: A horrible railway accident occurred in Balasore, Odisha, at around 7 p.m. on Friday leaving more than 207 people dead and over 900 injured. 

The Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express' 10 to 12 derailed coaches fell into the opposing track due to the accident. The Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express then struck the derailed train, causing three to four of its coaches to derail as a result. A cargo train was also involved in the collision, heightening the tragedy.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Railway Minister, declared on Saturday that he had directed a high-level investigation into the incident. The minister was quoted by ANI as saying, "The accident was unfortunate, and the rescue operation began shortly after the incident was reported to his ministry."

"Morning visuals from the spot where the horrific train accident took place in Odisha's Balasore district."

#WATCH | Morning visuals from the spot where the horrific train accident took place in Odisha's Balasore district, killing 207 people and injuring 900 pic.twitter.com/yhTAENTNzJ

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

Check live updates:

6:45 am: Government announces compensation
The ex-gratia amounts issued by the railway ministry are Rs. 10 lakh for the surviving family members of the deceased, Rs. 2 lakh for those who were seriously hurt, and Rs. 50,000 for those who had suffered minor wounds.

7:05 am: State mourning announced
Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister of Odisha, announced a day of state mourning on Saturday in response to the devastating train accident that left over 200 people dead and 900 injured.

7:10 am: Watch: Latest visuals from the site of the deadly train accident in Balasore, Odisha. 

#WATCH | Latest visuals from the site of the deadly train accident in Odisha's Balasore. Rescue operations underway

The current death toll stands at 233 pic.twitter.com/H1aMrr3zxR

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

7:20 am: Rescue operation underway

#WATCH | Odisha: Rescue operations underway at Balashore where two passenger trains and one goods train met with an accident yesterday, killing 233 people and injuring 900 pic.twitter.com/o9Vl2Rbz71

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

7:50 am: Army joins rescue operations

#WATCH | "Our 6 teams are working here since last night. Our dog squad, and medical team are also engaged in the rescue operation," says Jacob Kispotta, Senior Commandant, NDRF#BalasoreTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/Sjuep3ZLeq

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

7:55 am: Nepal PM extends condolences

On Satudary, Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal sent his condolences for the tragic Odisha train accident that happened after the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express's carriages derailed, leaving at least 233 people dead.

8:11 am: Railway Minister said...
"Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from district administration. A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry," said Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. 

8:33 am: The chief minister of Tamil Nadu announces a day of mourning following the Balasore train tragedy in Odisha. 

9:05 am: 'People queue up to donate blood for injured in Balasore'

Odisha train accident: People queue up to donate blood for injured in Balasore

Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/McDb1XajsF#Odisha #OdishaTrainTragedy #Balasore pic.twitter.com/DlIFwcZmns

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) June 3, 2023

9:28 am: "As per the information received till now, there are 238 casualties. Around 650 injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro: South Eastern Railway,"

#BalasoreTrainAccident | As per the information received till now, there are 238 casualties. Around 650 injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro: South Eastern Railway pic.twitter.com/L1FClXmEuE

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

10:15 am:

#WATCH | Aerial visuals from ANI’s drone camera show the extent of damage at the spot of the #BalasoreTrainAccident in Odisha. pic.twitter.com/YSflSpuF9d

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

10:45 am: Visuals from Balasore hospital

#WATCH | Odisha | Visuals from Balasore Medical College and Hospital where some of the people injured in #BalasoreTrainAccident have been admitted.

All the injured have been admitted to various hospitals in the state. pic.twitter.com/jx3yxT0lMt

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

10:50 am: Foreign Ministers of Australia Penny Wong, and Sri Lanka Ali Sabry condole the loss of lives in the Odisha train train accident. 

11:07 am: Virat Kohli tweets, "Saddened to hear the tragic train accident in Odisha. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost their loved ones and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured."

11:37 am: "Operation is still continuing. So far state govt has announced 238 dead and more than 900 injured. Hopefully, by today evening, we should be able to close the operation. NDRF has nine teams there - seven from Odisha and two from West Bengal. Almost all the live victims have been sent to hospital so nine teams are sufficient..," says Narendra Singh Bundela, IG operation, NDRF. 

11:45 am: "A tragedy the scale of which requires the entire country to pause in silent reflection, in memory of those who have lost their lives. Om Shanti We cannot let such accidents happen again. We must get to the root cause of this tragedy. Whether human or technical error, neither should have resulted in such devastation. We need to re-look at our fail-safe mechanisms in railway operations, tweets Anand Mahindra. 

11:46 am: ANI tweeted, " Odisha train accident: Special train carrying 250 stranded passengers leaves for Chennai."

12:25 pm: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel spoke to Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik over the phone & discussed the train accident. Expressing his deepest condolences for the victims of the accident, he offered to provide all kinds of assistance for the rescue and treatment of the injured. Chief Minister Patnaik thanked the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. 

12:26 pm: Latest aerial visuals from the site of the deadly train accident in Balasore, Odisha. 

#WATCH | Latest aerial visuals from the site of the deadly train accident in Odisha's #Balasore

As per the latest information, the death toll stands at 238 in the collision between three trains.#BalasoreTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/PusSnQ3XWw

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

1:00 pm: According to the information received so far, 261 people have died. Injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro.

1:10 pm: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reaches Odisha's Balasore where a collision between three trains left 261 dead. 

1:48 pm:

#WATCH | "Railway provides Rs 10 Lakhs as compensation. We will provide Rs 5 Lakhs each to the people of our state and cooperate and work with the Railways and Odisha Government until the work is complete," says West Bengal CM and former Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee after… pic.twitter.com/p9mzx3pzM1

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

2:35 pm: In the wake of the #BalasoreTrainAccident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dispatches a team headed by Minister Santosh Lad to secure the safety of Kannadigas. The Chief Minister has asked the Chief Secretary for reports and instructed the concerned officers to travel to the area to safeguard the safety of Kannadigas and give them all the assistance they require.

3:05 pm: Injured in Balasore Train Accident being brought to Cuttack's SCB Medical College

#WATCH | Injured of #BalasoreTrainAccident being brought to Cuttack's SCB Medical College

As per the latest information, the death toll stands at 261 in the collision between three trains. pic.twitter.com/r3uuCExzla

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

3:30 pm: In the wake of the Balasore train accident, the extensive rescue operation has reached its conclusion, paving the way for the ongoing restoration work to commence. However, the numbers that have emerged from the shadows paint a grim picture. As per the most recent updates, the death toll resulting from this calamity stands at a staggering 261. 

#WATCH | Odisha | Rescue operation at the spot of #BalasoreTrainAccident has concluded and restoration work is underway. Latest visuals from the spot.

As per the latest information, the death toll in the accident stands at 261. pic.twitter.com/ufemKstvSu

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

4:00 pm: In the face of challenging times, it is crucial for political parties to put aside their differences and work together to address the pressing issues that affect the nation and its people. Congress President and former Railways Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge, has called upon all political parties to come forward and extend their support in helping the country overcome these challenges. 

#WATCH | #BalasoreTrainAccident | Congress president & former Railways Minister Mallikarjun Kharge says, "...Irrespective of the political parties, I request them to come forward & help...I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families...I have to ask many questions to… pic.twitter.com/UAw8I3Bzq1

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

4:12 pm: PM Modi has arrived at the site of the devastating Balasore train accident to assess the gravity of the tragic incident, which has claimed the lives of 261 individuals, with an alarming count of over 900 people left wounded. 

4:45 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a comprehensive briefing from Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and other officials regarding the unfortunate incident of the Balasore train accident.

#WATCH | Odisha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefed by Union Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other officials about the #BalasoreTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/DBcaMSlWht

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

5:15 pm:  "...A crane has arrived, we will pull up (coaches) one by one but we don't expect any survivors under them. We are disheartened, we had never seen so many bodies in our life..," says Odisha's Director General, Fire Services, Sudhanshu Sarangi.

#WATCH | "...A crane has arrived, we will pull up (coaches) one by one but we don't expect any survivors under them. We are disheartened, we had never seen so many bodies in our life..," says Odisha's Director General, Fire Services, Sudhanshu Sarangi, on #BalasoreTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/NhUumiWzOy

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

5: 45 pm: Speaking about the Odisha train tragedy, NCP President Sharad Pawar said, "This is a very unfortunate incident. Everyone's demand is to conduct a detailed probe into the accident case."

Maharashtra | NCP President Sharad Pawar speaks on the #OdishaTrainTragedy, says, "This is a very unfortunate incident. Everyone's demand is to conduct a detailed probe into the accident case." pic.twitter.com/QCvHS5J1Xx

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023

6:10 pm: Death toll in Odisha train tragedy has climed up to 288. 

6: 24 pm: Civil Aviation Minister issues advisory to airlines

Ministry of Civil Aviation sends an advisory to airlines to monitor any abnormal surge in airfares to and from Bhubaneswar and other airports of Odisha in view of #OdishaTrainMishap: Ministry of Civil Aviation

Further, any cancellation and rescheduling of flights due to the…

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2023