The recent train accident in Balasore, Odisha has raised concerns about railway safety. Some opposition leaders, like Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Randeep Singh Surjewala, are demanding transparency from the railway ministry about the disaster. The Congress party, however, is waiting until rescue and relief activities are complete before commenting.
The railway ministry reported that restoration work at the accident site is proceeding quickly. More than seven poclain machines, two accident relief trains, and three to four railway and road cranes have been dispatched to restore the tracks. According to Aditya Kumar Chowdhary, the South Eastern Railway’s chief of public relations, traffic will soon be resumed on the damaged rails.
Aerial footage shows cranes and poclain machines working together to remove a train engine from the track. Meanwhile, the death toll has risen to 294 people with over 1,000 injured. Hospitals in Balasore are overwhelmed with patients and the identification of bodies is ongoing as families search for their loved ones.
