India: More than 230 dead and 900 injured in 3 train collision

Three trains collided in India: two passenger trains and a freight train. More than 230 people have died and the toll could rise.

In the Indian city of Balasore, an accident occurred involving two passenger and freight trains, informs Reuters. According to preliminary information, the Bangalore-Kolkata passenger train has partially derailed. Some of the cars ended up on neighboring tracks, along which the Eswantpur-Haora express followed, crashing into them. Then they were hit by a freight train en route from Calcutta to Chennai.

The accident happened Friday, June 2 at 7:20 pm local time. Many passengers were blocked, officials said, so the death toll could rise. Indian Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishno has ordered a high-level investigation to find out why the accident happened. He noted that it is important to establish the exact cause.

This is the worst railway accident in India this century. Officials say the death toll is expected to rise. Indian Railways said two services were involved, Coromandel Express and Howrah Superfast Express.

India has one of the largest rail networks in the world, and accidents are common despite successive governments investing hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements, says BBC South Asia Regional Editor Anbarasan Etirajan.

A day of mourning has been declared in the country.

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