Balasore: At least 30 people were injured, seven of them seriously when a tourist bus from West Bengal on its way to Puri skidded off the road and turned turtle on NH 16 near Talanagar at Soro in Balasore district on Wednesday, police said. The bus had about 60 tourists on board and was on its way to Puri from North 24 Praganas district in West Bengal when the accident occurred in the wee hours, the police said. The injured were admitted to Soro government hospital and the critically injured among them were shifted to Balasore district headquarters hospital where their condition was stated to be out of danger, the police said Fire brigade and five ambulances were pressed into service to rescue the injured at the accident site. This was the second bus mishap involving tourists from Bengal in Odisha in less than three months. In May a bus from Howrah district had overturned at Kalinga Ghat on way to Vizag killing six persons. —PTI

At least 30 people were injured, seven of them seriously when a tourist bus from West Bengal on its way to Puri skidded off the road and turned turtle on NH 16 near Talanagar at Soro in Balasore district on Wednesday, police said

30 Bengal tourists injured in road mishap in Balasore

<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 14px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">Balasore: On Wednesday, a court in Odisha's Balasore district sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for the rape of a little girl.
Akash Malick, a resident of the village of Chhanua, was found guilty of rape by Special Judge Ranjan Kumar Sutar of the POCSO court in Balasore and sentenced to pay a fine of Rs 4000.
The prosecution claims that the girl's father filed a complaint against Akash Malick in May 2022, alleging that Malick had abducted and sexually assaulted the girl when she was on her way to college in Balasore.—Inputs from Agencies

On Wednesday, a court in Odisha's Balasore district sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for the rape of a little girl.

Court sentences man to 20 years imprisonment for raping minor girl

Bhubaneswar: In a major accident, several coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel express train derailed near Bahanaga railway station in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday evening and several passengers are trapped, and feared dead.
According to initial reports, at least four coaches of the express train derailed at Bahanaga station after ramming into a goods train standing at the station.
Several people were feared dead, sources said but there was no official confirmation yet.
Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu has directed the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team at Balasore to proceed to the spot immediately for search and rescue operations.
On receiving information, the Balasore Collector, the SP rushed and other officials rushed to spot to supervise the rescue operation. Railway officials are now there on the spot. About 20 ambulances have been sent to the accident spot to transport the passengers to local hospitals, officials said.
Two fire teams were sent from Bhadrak to the spot.
An emergency helpline No +91 6782 262 286 has been opened at Balasore. The Odisha government has directed the fire service DG to rush to the spot and monitor the rescue operation.
Doctors were sent from Balasore Medical College. So far, there are 10 injured passengers at Balasore Medical College, officials said.
All medical college and all hospitals in and around Balasore have been kept on alert. SCB Medical College, Cuttack has also been put on readiness.
—IANS

 In a major accident, several coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel express train derailed near Bahanaga railway station

Express overturns After Hitting Goods Train At Odisha's Balasore, Fatalities Feared

Bhubaneshwar/New Delh: At least 50 people were killed and over 150 injured as 3-4 coaches of Yashwantpur Howrah Superfast Express derailed and fell on opposite track, near the Bahanaga railway station in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday evening, where the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express collided with them, leading to derailment of 10-12 more coaches, officials said.
Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw, who said that he is rushing to the spot, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of the kin of the dead, Rs 2 lakh for seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for minor injuries.
"At least 3 to 4 coaches of Yashwantpur Howrah Superfast Express derailed around 6.58 p.m. near Bahanaga railway station in Odisha and fell on the opposite track. And soon Coromandel Express came on opposite track and collided with derailed coaches that led to derailment of its 10 to 12 coaches," a senior Railway Ministry official in Delhi told IANS.
A ministry statement said: "Train number 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and Train number 12864 SMVB-HWH Superfast Express got derailed near Bahanaga Bazaar railway station at around 6.55 p.m. on Friday."
The official said that as of now it is tough to tell the number of casualties as railways is indulged in rescue operations to save maximum lives.
However, sources at the spot said that 50 people were killed and over 100 injured.
Railway staff and officials are present at the accident site and rescue operations are going on at utmost priority, it said.
On the direction of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Revenue Minister Pramila Mallik and Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu proceeded towards the accident spot.
Sahu had directed the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team at Balasore to proceed to the spot immediately for search and rescue operations.
On receiving the information, the Balasore Collector, the SP and other officials rushed to spot to supervise the rescue operation. Railway officials are now there on the spot. About 20 ambulances have been sent to the accident site to transport the passengers to local hospitals, officials said.
Two fire teams were sent from Bhadrak to the spot.
An emergency helpline No +91 6782 262 286 has been opened at Balasore. The Odisha government has directed the fire service DG to rush to the spot and monitor the rescue operation.
Doctors were sent from the Balasore Medical College and all medical college and all hospitals in and around Balasore have been kept on alert. SCB Medical College, Cuttack has also been put on readiness.
Odisha Chief Minister Patnaik told media persons that he had "just reviewed the situation about this truly tragic railway accident" and will be visiting Balasore on Saturday morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief at the accident.
"Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation. Rescue ops are underway at the site of the mishap and all possible assistance is being given to those affected", he tweeted.
On his part, Vaishnaw said that he was rushing to Balasore.
"Rushing to the site in Odisha. My prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured and condolences to the bereaved families. Rescue teams mobilised from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. NDRF, State govt. teams and Airforce also mobilised. Will take all hands required for the rescue ops", he tweeted.
The West Bengal government said it was sending a six-member team to Odisha's Balasore.
A senior state government official said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had personally instructed Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi to send the team to the accident spot and help the people from West Bengal who were travelling.
"Since the train started from Shalimar station in West Bengal, it is natural that a good number of passengers travelling by the train are domiciles of West Bengal. The Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary are keeping a constant watch on the situation," the state government official said.
—IANS

At least 50 people were killed and over 150 injured as 3-4 coaches of Yashwantpur Howrah Superfast Express 

50 Dead In Major Accident In Odisha As Express Train Hits Derailed Coaches Of Another Train 

Bhubaneswar: More than 120 people have died in the tragic train accident in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday evening, in which 17 coaches of two express trains, Coromandel Express and SMVT-Howrah Super Fast Express, derailed.
This was informed by Odisha Fire Service Director General, Sudhanshu Sarangi, who is at the accident spot monitoring the rescue operations.
Speaking to mediapersons, Sarangi said, "As per our calculation, more than 120 persons have died in the tragic accident. The death toll is likely to go up."
"The rescue operation is almost complete. Those trapped within the coaches have been rescued and admitted to hospitals. We are now trying to remove the coaches to see whether any passenger is trapped under them," he added.
"Cranes have been engaged to pull up the coaches. We have to see if any body is lying under the overturned coaches," Sarangi said.
Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said that more than 850 injured persons have been admitted to different hospitals in the nearby areas.
Jena also informed that rescue operations are going on in full swing.
"We hope that the rescue operation will be complete by Saturday morning," he added.
NDRF, ODRAF, Odisha Fire Service along with several volunteer organisations are conducting the rescue operations.
More than 200 ambulances along with 30 buses have been pressed into service, the Chief Secretary said.
Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj district SPs and Collectors along with several senior officials are at the spot to expedite the rescue operations, he added.
"Additional doctors have been mobilised and hospitals in the nearby areas have been kept on alert. We are trying our best to provide best treatment to the injured persons," the Chief Secretary said.
"We pray to God that the people who are still trapped under the coaches remain alive," he said.
He also said that various district collectors have been asked to provide necessary help to the passengers stranded in different stations due to diversion/cancellation of other trains.
—IANS

More than 120 people have died in the tragic train accident in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday evening,

Odisha Train Tragedy: Over 120 Dead, 850 Injured Admitted To Hospitals

Ranchi: On Saturday, it was announced that a team of doctors from the state of Jharkhand would be heading to the Balasore district of Odisha to aid in the treatment of those injured in the railway disaster there.
Jharkhand's Chief Minister Hemant Soren has said that a team of officials and doctors will be heading to the neighbouring state on Sunday morning  by helicopter.
"According to the information received regarding the train accident in Balasore, Odisha, the team will meet the passengers of Jharkhand and provide them all possible help. Passengers injured in the accident will also be provided all necessary assistance for better treatment," he tweeted.—Inputs from Agencies

On Saturday, it was announced that a team of doctors from the state of Jharkhand would be heading to the Balasore district of Odisha to aid in the treatment of those injured in the railway disaster there

Jharkhand to send team of doctors to Odisha's Balasore

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Sunday said the death figure in the tragic triple train accident at Bahanaga station in Balasore stood at 275.  "Some of the bodies have been counted twice at the accident site and also in hospitals. So, after proper counting, the final death figure stood at 275," said Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena.  Out of 275 dead bodies, 78 bodies were identified and handed over to their family members after autopsy, he said, adding that the handing over of another 10 bodies was also under process.  Jena said of the remaining 187 bodies, 170 bodies have been brought to Bhubaneswar while another 17 bodies were in transit to the capital city from Balasore.  The bodies have been brought to different mortuaries of Bhubaneswar in a dignified way by 85 ambulances. Only two bodies were brought in each ambulance, he informed.  Stating that the major challenge before the government was to identify the bodies, the chief secretary said, "We have uploaded the pictures of the dead bodies on websites. If someone can identify the body of their family member, he/she can contact the helpline number 18003450061 /1929 (24A-7)."  The pictures of bodies have been uploaded on the websites: https://srcodisha.nic.in/, https://www.bmc.gov.in, and https://www.osdma.org. The list of injured have also been uploaded in these websites.  The government has also taken steps to provide death certificates to the family members of deceased persons in a hassle-free manner, he informed.  As many as 1,175 patients were admitted to various hospitals, out of which 793 have been discharged. Most of the injured patients are in stable condition. A total of 382 passengers were undergoing treatment in various government and private hospitals. —IANS

The Odisha government on Sunday said the death figure in the tragic triple train accident at Bahanaga station in Balasore stood at 275

Death toll in train tragedy stands at 275, says Odisha govt

Bhubaneswar: At least eight people suffered injuries when a speeding truck hit a bus travelling from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata from behind in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday, causing the bus to overturn.
The incident occurred at 2:45 a.m. on the National Highway, close to the Shantia bypass, in the region of the Jaleswar police station.
Manoj Kumar Nayak, driver of the bus said: “As a speed-breaker was there at the accident spot, I had slowed down the bus. At that time, a speeding truck hit my bus from behind. Under the impact of the collision, the bus hit the barricade put up there and then overturned."
The police were notified and quickly arrived, taking the injured to a nearby hospital.
The police have seized the truck that hit the bus and are continuing their investigation.—Inputs from Agencies

At least eight people suffered injuries when a speeding truck hit a bus travelling from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata from behind in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday, causing the bus to overturn

Truck smashes bus in Balasore, Odisha, injuring 8

New Delhi: In the case of the Balasore train tragedy on June 2, the CBI announced Saturday that it had filed a charge sheet against three arrested Railways officers for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing disappearance of evidence. In connection with its investigation into the three-train collision that killed 296 and injured over 1,200 on July 7, the CBI had arrested senior section engineer (Signals) Arun Kumar Mahanta, senior section engineer (in Soro) Amir Khan, and technician Pappu Kumar, all of whom were stationed in the Balasore district.
The Coromandel Express derailed after colliding with a halted goods train at the Balasore station at Bahanaga Bazar, causing several of its cars to fall onto the tracks of the incoming Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express.
The CBI alleged that the accused violated Indian Penal Code sections 304 (part II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 34 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence with common intention), and 153 (endangering safety of railways passenger by willful act or omission) during an investigation that resulted in a charge sheet being filed before a special judicial magistrate in Bhubaneswar.—Inputs from Agencies

 In the case of the Balasore train tragedy on June 2, the CBI announced Saturday that it had filed a charge sheet against three arrested Railways officers for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing disappearance of evidence.

Balasore train accident: CBI charge sheet against 3 rail officials for culpable homicide, destruction of evidence

New Delhi: The Railways have appointed former Railway Board chairman Vinay Kumar Tripathi to head a one-man expert committee tasked with developing a strategy to enhance the frequency and quality of rolling stock maintenance.
It also appointed former Railway Board chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti to head a one-man expert team tasked with developing a strategy for better track inspection and maintenance.
The deadliest train accident in two decades occurred in Balasore, Odisha, in June, prompting the establishment of the committees.—Inputs from Agencies

The Railways have appointed former Railway Board chairman Vinay Kumar Tripathi to head a one-man expert committee tasked with developing a strategy to enhance the frequency and quality of rolling stock maintenance.

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30 Bengal tourists injured in road mishap in Balasore

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30 Bengal tourists injured in road mishap in Balasore

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