Bhubaneswar, Feb 13 (IANS) At least 15 passengers were killed and about 100 injured after the Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express was derailed Friday evening near the Jajpur-Keonjhar Road railway station in Orissa, an official said.
East Coast Railway chief public relation officer J.P. Mishra said at least 15 people were killed when 14 coaches of the super fast express train were derailed near the Jajpur road railway station, some 110 km from the state capital.
“Two relief trains are on their way to the spot from the Khurdha Road and Bhadrak railway stations. Our priority is now to rescue survivors,” Mishra added.
According to Orissa Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj around 100 people were injured in the mishap.
“The rescue and relief operations are on. We are sending the injured to hospitals,” Praharaj said.
An official involved in the rescue and relief said many people could be trapped under mangled coaches.
A local resident said the accident was “horrible and serious”. “I don’t know how many people have died but the number of the injured is definitely more than 50,” Kishore Jena, a resident of Jajpur Road, told IANS over telephone.
“The accident took place at about 7.45 p.m. but the (district) collector reached the spot around 9 p.m. The area was completely dark and local people were rescuing victims by arranging diesel generators.
“I along with some other locals shifted nearly 40 passengers including a foreigner woman to nearby hospitals,” Jena said.