Indian PM mourns deadly train crash

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the Vande Bharat Express, a new high-speed train, on Saturday as part of the government's extensive efforts to modernize India's sprawling railway network and other infrastructure. However, instead of attending the inauguration, he visited the site of one of the most catastrophic rail accidents in the country's history to express his condolences.

Picture by CNN

The accident occurred in Balasore, Odisha state, on Friday, involving a three-way collision between two passenger trains and a freight train. The collision resulted in the tragic loss of over 280 lives and left more than 1,000 people injured. The incident has had a profound impact on India, now the world's most populous nation, reigniting calls for authorities to address safety issues within the railway system, which transports over 13 million passengers daily. Despite recent investments in upgrading the system, years of neglect have led to the deterioration of tracks.

The exact cause of the crash is still unknown, but there is suspicion that a failure in traffic signaling might have been responsible, according to a senior state railway official. The collision occurred when the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express entered a track where a goods train was stationary and collided with it, causing several coaches to derail. Subsequently, the Howrah Express traveling from Yesvantpur to Howrah collided at high speed with the derailed carriages.

A superintendent at a train station in Odisha explained that signaling failures can occur due to technical malfunctions or human errors since traffic signals are typically operated by personnel at each station. In response to the incident, a "high-level inquiry" has been ordered by Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, to determine the causes of the crash. Narendra Modi assured the affected families of the government's support and pledged severe punishment for those found guilty, stating that no effort would be spared.

As daylight broke on Saturday, rescue teams and passengers joined forces in a frantic search for survivors amid the wreckage and overturned train carriages. Officials anticipate that the death toll may rise further, as many passengers are believed to be trapped beneath the derailed cars. Sudhanshu Sarangi, the chief of Odisha's fire services, expressed low hopes of finding any survivors amidst the devastation.

The government of Odisha, with a population of approximately 44 million, declared a day of mourning in response to the tragedy. Footage and images from the crash site near Bahanaga Bazar rail station depicted scenes of chaos and despair, with dozens of bodies lying beside mangled train cars and survivors and police officers in their vicinity. The carriages exhibited severe damage, with shattered windows, scattered personal belongings, and torn-apart compartments.

Eye-witness accounts from survivors revealed the terrifying moments leading up to and following the crash. Passengers described feeling a tremendous jolt and hearing loud crashes, followed by smoke and screams of shock. Many experienced being trapped or witnessing others trapped under the wreckage, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. The rescue operation faced significant challenges due to the weight of the derailed coaches and the need to identify and extricate bodies.

India's vast railway network, established over 160 years ago during British colonial rule, currently operates around 11,000 trains daily, covering approximately 67,000 miles of tracks. The system suffers from aging infrastructure and inadequate maintenance, factors often implicated in accidents. Previous accidents, such as a derailment in Andhra Pradesh in 2005 and another in Uttar Pradesh in 2011, have resulted in substantial casualties.

Friday's crash has already surpassed the death toll of a notorious 2016 derailment in Uttar Pradesh, where over 140 people lost their lives. In response to such incidents, Modi had previously announced significant investments to improve safety and connectivity in India's railway system. However, in 2021 alone, nearly 18,000 railway accidents claimed the lives of over 16,000 individuals. Falls from trains and collisions between trains and pedestrians on tracks accounted for the majority of these accidents, according to the National Crime Records.

The recent crash comes at a time when India is undergoing a major infrastructure overhaul, with substantial investments being made to modernize transport links. Modi himself arrived at the scene in Balasore on Saturday to assess the situation, meet emergency teams, and visit injured passengers in the hospital. The rescue efforts involve more than 115 ambulances, multiple fire service units, and assistance from the Indian army, National Disaster Response Force, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, and state fire services.

The tragedy has prompted a massive outpouring of support, with hundreds of people gathering outside local hospitals to donate blood. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other world leaders, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, have expressed their heartfelt condolences for the victims.