The accident occurred on Friday evening near the city of Balasore in India's east. According to the updated information, several cars of a passenger train traveling from Calcutta to Chennai derailed due to a collision with a freight train and fell onto the opposite track. After a while, another passenger train rammed into them, resulting in three or four more cars with people falling off the tracks. At least 288 people were killed and over 900 were injured in the crash, media reported.
"Please accept our deepest condolences in connection with the tragic consequences of the train collision in the state of Odisha. We share the grief of those who lost their loved ones in this catastrophe and hope for a speedy recovery of all the victims," the message, also addressed to Indian President Droupadi Murmu, read.