The death toll from the India train accident has risen to 275 with more than 1,000 people injured, The accident happened on Friday evening June 2 when two passenger trains collided head-on in the Balasore district of Odisha state.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation but officials believe a signal failure may have played a role, The trains were reportedly traveling at high speeds when they collided and the impact caused the carriages to derail and crumple.
Rescue workers have been working tirelessly to free the injured and recover the dead bodies, The process has been slow and difficult as the wreck is extensive and the terrain is challenging.
The Indian government has declared a national day of mourning for the victims of the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and injured, and has vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
The accident highlights the need for improved safety measures on India’s railways, The country has one of the largest railway networks in the world but also has a poor safety record, In recent years there have been a number of high-profile train accidents resulting in hundreds of deaths.
The government has promised to take action to improve the safety on the railways, However it remains to be seen whether these measures will be sufficient to prevent accidents in the future.
In the meanwhile the people of India are mourning the loss of their loved ones and are trying to come to terms with this tragedy.