Odisha Train Accident: What really happened with the Coromandel Express

The Odisha train accident saw the Coromandel Shalimar Express derail and hit a goods train, with the Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast train subsequently colliding with the derailed coaches. Witnesses report that more than 200-250 people died in the acc...

By ET Online | Updated: Jun 04, 2023, 09.47 AM IST

Odisha train crash explained: How the tragedy unfolded in Balasore, killing 275 people

A little after 6. 50pm on Friday, Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express (12841) should have passed the stationary goods train in the loop line to its left.

But it didn't.

A route relay interlocking system error that controls the changing of tracks meant that Coromandel did not switch to the second track at the interchange but hurtled on and rammed into the freight train at express speed.

Here's a blow-by-blow account of the fateful night

The Shalimar Chennai Coromandel entered the wrong track moments before the mishap at Bahanaga Bazar Station in Balasore district.
Another train, the Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast, then crashed into the derailed coaches of the other two trains. Both trains were moving at a high speed when the collisions happened.
While Coromandel Express was at a speed of 128 kmph, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express was running at a speed of 116 kmph. The report has been submitted to the Railway Board, sources said.
The coaches of Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express capsized after crashing into the coaches of Coromandel Express that had scattered on the adjacent track.
Railways officials has reportedly suggested that a human error in signalling could be the reason behind the mistake. “This could be because of a human error in signalling. The Coromandel Express had a green signal to move on the mainline towards Chennai,” an officer told ToI.
The Coromandel Express then crashed into a stationary freight train that was on the loopline at Bahanaga Bazar station.
After the express crashed into the static train at a speed of 130km per hour, its engine mounted atop the goods train and all its 22 coaches got derailed.
At least three coaches of the Coromandel jumped onto the parallel track and hit the tail end of Sir M Visveswaraya Terminal-Howrah Superfast Express (12864) which was crossing the station at the same time.
The Bengaluru-Howrah train had almost crossed the Coromandel. Unfortunately, the last two coaches were still crossing the parallel track when the derailed coaches of the Coromandel Express rammed into them.
The five coaches - three from the Coromandel Express and two from the Bengaluru-Howrah Express, that collided into each other were among the worst hit and saw the maximum casualties.

Twitter user Anubhav Das said, adding that almost 13 coaches of Coromandel Express including General, Sleeper, AC 3 tier and AC 2 tier were "completely damaged".

The Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express which was coming at high speed crashed into the coaches of Coromandel Express that had scattered on the adjacent track.

Anubhav Das, a passenger on the Coromandel Express that was involved in a horrific accident, posted a series of tweets describing how the accident unfolded.

— anubhav2das (@anubhav2das)

Odisha train tragedy: A survivor's account of the horror

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In the fourth deadliest train wreck in India, nearly 300 people were killed and hundreds of others were left injured when one train derailed, before another one came and rammed into it, all within a few minutes. The Army, Air Force and rescue workers were mobilised to save those who were trapped. The incident has left a permanent hole of horror in India's memory.