Another ‘Black’ Friday: Same Coromandel Express Tragedy Strikes Again After 14 Years

At least 233 people were killed and around 900 injured in the crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train on Friday.

Written by: Sumaila Zaman

Updated: June 3, 2023, 11:14 AM IST

Share

Share Article

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• X
• Email
• Telegram
• Linkedin

https://www.india.com/news/india/odisha-train-accident-latest-news-another-black-friday-same-coromandel-express-tragedy-strikes-again-after-14-years-6087289/ Copy

Balasore: Locals, security personnel and NDRF at the site where Coromandel, Bengaluru-Howrah Express trains derailed last night, in Balasore district, Saturday, June 3, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Odisha Train Accident Latest Update: Over 230 people were killed and around 900 injured in the crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train on Friday. The train crash, the fourth deadliest in India according to available records, happened near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday. In terms of the number of lives lost, the Coromandel Express Accident is as deadly as Gaisal (1999) and Jnaneswari (2010), both in West Bengal.

What Happened on June 2, 2023(Friday)?

On Friday(June 2, 2023), Coromandel Express which was heading to Chennai derailed near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Odisha’s Balasore and collided with Howrah-bound Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express which also derailed five minutes later. The derailed coaches of the Coromandel then hit a goods train that was parked there.

According to railways, Coromandel Express was headed towards Chennai, while Sir M Visvesvaraya-Howrah Superfast Express was coming towards Howrah with 1,000 passengers, when this accident took place on Friday evening. At present, Railways has cancelled several trains on the Chenaai-Howrah route, which is one the busiest routes of the national transporter.

Covering a distance of 1,662 km in 27 hours and five minutes, Coromandel Express (Train number 12842) runs between Chennai and Shalimar (in Howrah). The Coromandel Express has a top speed of 130 kilometres per hour. The tragedy on Friday brought back memories of the 2009 Coromandel crash, which killed approximately 16 passengers. It was another tragic ‘black’ Friday night of February 13, 2009.

What Happened on February 13, 2009(Friday)?

The 2009 accident occurred while the train was passing through the Jajpur Road railway station at high speed. As per a PTI report, Sixteen passengers were killed and 161 injured when 13 bogies of the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express from Howrah derailed while changing tracks in Orissa’s Jajpur district. The 2009 accident occurred in the evening between 7:30 pm and 7:40 pm. Of the 13 bogies that derailed, 11 were sleeper class, and two general. The day was then termed as ‘black’ Friday.

Here is a look at other such deadliest train crashes:

June 2, 2023, train crash is one of the deadliest such accidents since independence, data shows. Here is a look at other such deadliest train crashes.

1. June 6, 1981: India recorded its worst train accident that occurred in Bihar. A train fell into the Bagmati river while crossing a bridge, killing more than 750 people.
2.  August 20, 1995: Purushottam Express collided with the stationary Kalindi Express near Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh. The official death toll was around 305.
3. August 2, 1999: The Gaisal train disaster occurred when Brahmaputra Mail crashed into the stationary Avadh Assam Express at Gaisal station in North Frontier Railway’s Katihar division, killing more than 285 people and injuring over 300. Many of the victims were Army, BSF or CRPF personnel.
4. November 26, 1998: Jammu Tawi-Sealdah Express collided with three derailed coaches of Frontier Golden Temple Mail in Punjab’s Khanna, killing 212 people.
5. November 20, 2016: The Pukhrayan train derailment occurred when 14 coaches of Indore-Rajendra Nagar Express derailed at Pukhrayan, approximately 60 km from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, killing 152 people and injuring 260.
6. May 28, 2010: Jnaneswari Express derailment — the Mumbai-bound train derailed near Jhargram in West Bengal and was then hit by an oncoming goods train, killing 148 passengers.
7. September 9, 2002: The Rafiganj train wreck occurred when Howrah Rajdhani Express derailed over a bridge on the Dhave river in Bihar’s Rafiganj, killing more than 140 people. Terrorist sabotage was blamed for the incident.
8. December 23, 1964: The Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train was washed away by the Rameswaram cyclone, killing over 126 passengers on board.

The Odisha government has issued helpline 06782-262286. The railway helplines are 033-26382217 (Howrah), 8972073925 (Kharagpur), 8249591559 (Balasore) and 044- 25330952 (Chennai).

(With Inputs From Agencies)