Three-train collision in India leaves at least 70 dead, hundreds injured

[kamnet]

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/20 ... erailment/

At least 70 people were killed and more than 600 injured in a train collision in eastern India on Friday, according to officials and local media. Many people remain trapped inside train cars and under the wreckage.

A passenger train derailed in the state of Odisha around 7:20 p.m. local time, sending some cars careening onto the opposite track, where they were struck by another passenger train, according to local media reports. A nearby freight train also became ensnared in the pileup.

“Distressed by the train accident in Odisha,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter. “In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon.”

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced shortly after the crash that victims would be compensated: about $12,000 to the families of those killed and $2,400 and $600 to people who had suffered “grievous” and “minor” injuries, respectively.

Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, the top administrator in Odisha’s Balasore district, confirmed that the death toll had passed 50, the Associated Press reported.

[Redirect Left]

A terrible accident, the BBC now record upwards of 260 deaths.
I hope India's rail accident investigators are up to this task, this is an accident that definitely requires as many answers as is possible. I just hope they have the resources needed to investigate such a catastrophe.

[odisseus]

I bet the answer is blatant recklessness and neglect of safety procedures. Don't forget this is the country whose nuclear submarine was nearly lost because somebody didn't close an access hatch...

[sevenfm]

According to latest news, they had some issues with electronic signaling system which was updated recently.