The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, visited the state of Odisha on Saturday, where at least 288 people lost their lives in a violent train accident in the town of Balasore.
Here it sounded from Modi that those responsible will be punished.
– It is a sad moment, the prime minister told local media Doordarshan, according to the AFP news agency.
Hundreds more are injured after the accident, where three trains collided on Friday evening local time.
The prime minister was supposed to have inaugurated a high-speed rail line between Goa and Mumbai on Saturday, equipped with a collision avoidance system.
That event was canceled after Friday’s accident, where the trains involved were not equipped with that type of system, writes the AP news agency.
Anubhav Das was in one of the rear carriages of one of the trains when he heard “screams and horrific noises coming from the distance”.
The carriage he was in was left standing on its edge and he managed to jump out unharmed.
However, the tragic scenes have not left him.
– I lost track of the number of bodies before I left the scene. Now I feel almost guilty, says the 27-year-old Indian.
India has one of the world’s largest trains, and the country has experienced several major accidents over the past century.
The worst happened in 1981 when a train derailed on a bridge in Bihar and then plunged into a river. Between 800 and 1000 people died here.
On Saturday, rescue workers at the accident site in Balasore found no more survivors, the authorities have informed AP.
The rescue operation had been running at high pressure until then, with several bodies covered in white cloths being placed near the tracks as they were recovered from the smashed train carriages.
Army soldiers and helicopters also took part in the action, which took place in 35 degree heat.
– At 22.00 (Friday, ed.) we were able to rescue survivors. After that, it was about picking up dead bodies, says Sudhanshu Sarangi, who is the head of the state’s local fire and rescue service, according to AP.
– It is very, very tragic. I have never seen anything like this in my working life, he adds.
/ritzau/
Source: Kristeligt Dagblad – Latest articles. by www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk.
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