Train officials have reported at least 50 people were killed and 350 injured when the 2two passenger trains collided in the eastern Indian state of Odisha today.
The Howrah Superfast Express derailed and crashed into the Coromandel Express, South Eastern Railway authorities reported.
Although there are still no official reports of the dead and injured, the media is reporting at least 50 have died. Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena reported that over 350 passengers have been sent to nearby hospitals. The Chief Minister confirmed that their first priority is to “remove the living to the hospitals.”
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that “all possible assistance” is being given to those involved in the train crash. The Federal Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, tweeted that rescue teams have been mobilized from Kolkata in West Bengal and from Odisha’s Bhubaneswar. Minister Vaishnaw added that the National Disaster Response Force, air force, and state government teams have also been mobilized to respond to the crash.