Odisha Train Accident:Deadliest train crashes in the history of Indian Railways

The train crash in Odisha is one of the deadliest accidents since Indian Independence, with at least 280 killed and over 900 injured. This article lists the other deadliest train crashes that have occurred in India, including the 1981 accident whe...

By ET Online | Updated: Jun 03, 2023, 01.03 PM IST

The Odisha train crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train in which at least 280 people were killed and more than 900 injured, is one of the deadliest such accidents since independence, data shows. Let's look at the other such deadliest train crashes:

* June 6, 1981: India recorded its worst train accident which occurred in Bihar. A train fell into the river Bagmati while crossing a bridge, killing more than 750 people.

* August 20, 1995: Purushottam Express collided with the stationary Kalindi Express near Firozabad. The official death toll was around 305.

* 26 November 1998: Jammu Tawi-Sealdah Express collided with three derailed coaches of the Frontier Golden Temple Mail in Khanna in Punjab, killing 212 people.

* August 2, 1999: The Gaisal train disaster occurred when the 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.

* November 20, 2016: The Pukhrayan train derailment occurred when 14 coaches of the Indore-Rajendra Nagar Express derailed at Pukhrayan, approximately 60 km from Kanpur, killing 152 people and injuring 260.

* September 9, 2002: The Rafiganj train wreck occurred when the Howrah Rajdhani Express derailed over a bridge on the Dhave river in Rafiganj, killing more than 140 people. Terrorist sabotage was blamed for the incident.

* December 23, 1964: The Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train was washed away by the Rameswaram cyclone, killing over 126 passengers on board.

* May 28, 2010: The Jnaneswari Express train derailment -- The Mumbai-bound train had derailed near Jhargram and was then hit by an oncoming goods train, leading to the death of 148 passengers.

Odisha train crash: What happened and what we know so far

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At lest 288 people were killed and about 900 injured in a horrific train crash in Odisha, involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train. The official death count stood at 233 on Saturday morning. "Death toll rises to 233 in the Balasore Train Accident," Odisha Chief Secretary PK Jena tweeted.