Special train leaves Chennai with anxious relatives of Coromandel Express passengers

The Coromandel Express, bound for Chennai from Shalimar in West Bengal, derailed on Friday night in Balasore after running into a goods train. Some of the Coromandel Express’s bogies fell on other tracks, and another train, the Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast Express, ran over them, derailing some of its own coaches. At least 288 people died in the accident, and more than 900 were injured.

The anxiety was palpable in the waiting room at Chennai Central railway station on Saturday where people were waiting to board the special train. Sunil Kamath from Bihar was one of them, and he hoped to find his brother-in-law, who was a passenger on the Coromandel Express.

“We’re yet to establish any contact with him. My hope is to find him recuperating in a hospital,” said Kamath, a chef at a Chennai hotel.

Illustration of the spot where the accident took place.

Another passenger on the special train, Umesh Kumar Singh from Bihar, was both worried and relieved. His brother, a passenger on the ill-fated train, had managed to contact him. “He pleaded with me to come immediately as his legs were badly injured and bandaged. I didn’t have money to take a flight. The station master offered a free ticket and that allowed me to make this trip,” Singh said, voicing his hope that his brother’s injuries were not life-threatening.

Initial reports on Saturday morning suggested that around 35 people of Tamil origin were killed in the accident, with approximately 80 injured. However, a senior state official later clarified that the victims listed in the morning list were actually West Bengal residents headed to Chennai. Consequently, they were reclassified as passengers from West Bengal.

“Our analysis of the list of reserved passengers suggests minimal fatalities of Tamil origin, potentially one or two at most. However, we can confirm that about 50-60 Tamils sustained injuries, ranging from minor to grievous. Of the 350 bookings from Howrah to Chennai, about 100 were from people of Tamil origin. We’re still identifying casualties from unreserved coaches before we can make definitive statements,” the official said.

In response to the accident, the Southern Railway’s Chennai Division launched a help desk at Chennai Central railway station. Despite having six railway staff stationed, they were met with few inquiries. As per a late Saturday evening update, the station master’s office was still trying to ascertain the status of Tamil passengers on the Coromandel Express.

Image of the railway accident at Odisha’s Bahanaga Bazar station. (Express photo)

Chief Minister M K Stalin, forgoing his special Saturday programmes for the centenary celebrations of the late former chief minister M Karunanidhi, visited the help desk and control office at Chennai Central station to oversee relief measures. He was accompanied by Chief Secretary Iraianbu and DGP Sylendra Babu.

Stalin announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for each family from Tamil Nadu that lost a member in the accident. This is in addition to the Rs 10 lakh announced by the Railway Minister for each victim’s family and the Rs 2 lakh announced by the Prime Minister. For those injured, the Chief Minister has promised a sum of Rs 1 lakh each.