After serious train accident in India: evacuation and search for reason British government threatens Johnson with withdrawal of money in WhatsApp dispute

After one of the worst train accidents in India, more than a thousand people are continuously involved in evacuation work. This was announced by the Indian Ministry of Railways on Twitter. Drone footage on local television on Sunday also showed excavators clearing the route – and with many wrecks and broken tracks showing the staggering scope of the disaster, which killed at least 275 people and injured hundreds, according to authorities touched. According to rescuers on site, no more survivors are expected in and under the wrecks.

The aim is to complete the clean-up work on Wednesday, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Indian news agency ANI. At the same time, relatives in various morgues attempted to identify victims, some of whom were badly disfigured, as reported by the Times of India.

The accident happened Friday evening in a rural area in Balasore district, over 200 kilometers southwest of Kolkata. Authorities say three trains were involved. Initial findings on the cause of the accident point to a signal problem, as local media including “India Today” reported. The investigations are ongoing. According to local reports, a passenger train first derailed and another passenger train crashed into its broken carriages. A freight train would have been involved.

The most populous country of about 1.4 billion people has one of the largest rail networks in the world that has grown over time and in which the government has recently made significant investments. But with many old trains and rail systems in need of overhaul, accidents are common. But such high numbers of casualties have become rare. The accident also sparked discussion about rail safety.

Politicians and heads of state have expressed their condolences around the world, most recently including US President Joe Biden. “Jill and I are heartbroken at the tragic news of the deadly train crash in India,” Biden said Saturday (local time), according to a statement from the White House in Washington, also on behalf of the First Lady. The President and his wife are in thoughts with the people of India. UN Secretary-General António Guterres was “deeply saddened” by the accident, according to his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. The secretary-general extended his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people of India and their government, a statement from New York said. (sda/dpa)