The inauguration of the Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat was cancelled for Saturday after a major train mishap in Odisha on Friday evening, ministry officials told News18.
The Vande Bharat, to be the first for the Konkan Railways, was scheduled for launch on Saturday from Madgaon and even minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had reached Goa. But at around 7 pm on Friday, several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah train derailed and fell onto adjacent tracks at Bahanaga Baazar in Balasore district. These derailed coaches collided with the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, causing its coaches to also fall over. Additionally, a goods train was involved in the accident as the derailed coaches of the Coromandel Express collided with its wagons.
“The minister and all the senior officials, including chairman, Railway Board, have headed to the accident spot in Odisha. As of now, the flagging off of the Vande Bharat train stands cancelled. We will update as and when we have any input. We are taking all hands required for the rescue operations,” a ministry official told News18.
The ministry has mobilised rescue teams from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. Latest official figures said at least 38 people were killed and around 300 were injured in the mishap. Those injured were being hospitalised. Rescue work was underway.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to flag off the first Vande Bharat Express for Goa from Madgaon railway station at 10.30 am on Saturday through videoconferencing. The train was scheduled to run between Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Goa’s Madgaon station. Once operational, it will be the fastest train between the two stations.
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