Odisha Train Crash: Good Samaritans Queue Up Outside Hospital to Donate Blood; CM Thanks Them | WATCH

After India witnessed one of its deadliest train accidents in Odisha’s Balasore that killed over 288 people and injured nearly 900 others, large number of people came out voluntarily to donate blood for those injured in the horrific accident.

In a video shared by news agency ANI, people are seen queuing up in the hospital and are seen donating blood inside.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that he was “truly proud” of the people for their tremendous efforts in relief operations and in donating blood to the victims.

“…I also want to thank the youth for their response in donating blood for the victims, this is how people should behave during a terrible time like this,” he said in a video message.

Locals and young people have volunteered and  tirelessly worked round the clock to help in the search and rescue operations at the accident site.

Apart from the volunteers, a total of around 200 ambulances,  including 167 of 108 fleets and over 20 government ones have been deployed at the spot, along with 45 Mobile Health Teams, officials told ANI. 

In addition to this, 50 additional doctors along with a team of 25 doctors from SCB have also been mobilised.

Derailment of Coromandel Express train caused one of India’s deadly railway accidents, government sources said, adding that prima facie no case of sabotage has been found. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the accident site this afternoon.

The train crash 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, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.

The inquiry into the train accident will be led by A M Chowdhary, Commissioner Railway Safety, South East Circle, the Indian Railways said in a statement. The Commissioner Railway Safety comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, on the way to Howrah, derailed and fell on adjacent tracks, an official said. “These derailed coaches collided with the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and its coaches capsized too,” he said.

A goods train was also involved in the accident as some of the coaches of the Coromandel Express, which was heading to Chennai, hit its wagons after getting derailed, he added. Gas cutters were used to extricate the bodies from under the derailed coaches. “Some of the scenes at the site were too gory to describe,” said a passenger.