India is reeling in the days following one of the worst railway collision in its history.
Almost 300 people died, and there were a lot of injuries. Between those critically injured and those trapped in the train cars, the death toll is going to rise. According to India’s railway minister, signal failure could be the cause of the railway collision.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to the scene of the railway collision and expressed his sorrow. He vowed to aid the injured, and the families of those killed.
What Happened?
Three trains collided in this accident: a freight train and two passenger trains. One of the passenger trains collided with the freight train. The passenger trains coaches flipped over to a third track, which caused the other passenger train to derail.
“I have never seen anything like this in my career,” Sudhanshu Sarangi, the director of Odisha state’s fire and emergency department, told the Associated Press. “By 10 p.m. (on Friday) we were able to rescue the survivors. After that, it was about picking up dead bodies.”
Parallels to a Accident in Greece
In March, Greece was shaken by its own railway accident. A passenger train bound for Thessaloniki from Athens collided with a freight train. The collision resulted in 36 deaths. The local station manager, who was arrested for negligence, said the accident sprung from a technical failure.
There have been calls for Greece to modernize its railway system for years. This collision sparked public outcry.
Similar to Greece. there are parts of India’s railway system that are in dire need of an upgrade. This is especially true because the system is one of the largest in the world.