Odisha train accident: Gas cutters, sniffer dogs and heavy-duty cranes, how rescuers managed to save lives in Balasore

On Friday, rescue personnel left no stone unturned to save lives from the disastrous train accident in Odisha’s Balasore. They used gas-cutter torches and electric cutters and worked through the night to pull out survivors from the mangled remains of the trains involved in the horrific accident.

The Army joined the rescue operation, and the Air Force positioned MI-17 helicopters for relief and rescue operations.

The death toll now stands at nearly 300, with many feared trapped in mangled coaches, and personnel from several rescue teams giving their all to save lives. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), fire units and local police swiftly started work to rescue the victims.

The rescue personnel used gas-cutter torches and electric cutters and worked throughout the night to pull out survivors and the dead from the mangled steel of three trains, news agency PTI reported. Giant cranes and bulldozers were brought in to raise a coach buried under another wagon.

To find survivors of the devastation, sniffer dogs had also been employed in the rescue efforts.

Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena told ANI that as many as nine teams of NDRF, five teams of ODRAF, 24 fire service units, local police and volunteers are working tirelessly in search and rescue operations.

The rescue operations continued for around 14 hours. "The rescue operation has been completed; now we are starting the restoration work," Railways spokesperson Amitabh Sharma told ANI at around 11 am on Saturday.

Two passenger trains — Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express — and a goods train were involved in the accident triggered by a derailment.

As per the officials and witnesses, the massive tragedy occurred in minutes, between 6.50 pm and 7.10 pm.

The rescue efforts started immediately, and they went on all night long. Locals also pitched in for help and tried to pull out bodies and survivors from the mangled wreckage.

Army medical and engineering teams with ambulances and support services were deployed from the Eastern command. In order to reach the incident site as quickly as possible, the teams were routed from multiple bases.

The NDRF teams carried out the rescue operation with a dog squad. Officials in Bhubaneswar said 200 ambulances, 50 buses and 45 mobile health units were working at the accident site, and 1,200 personnel were involved. The bodies were being taken to the hospitals in various vehicles, including tractors.

"NDRF’s regional response centre Balasore was immediately moved after the accident happened. Nine teams are operating, and the rescue operation is underway. We have rescued 44 people. We are expecting the death toll to increase," NDRF IG (Operations) NS Bundela earlier told the media.

"As many as two to three coaches have debris on them, which is creating hurdles for us in the rescue operation. Primary information states three trains have collided. The goods train was stationed there. The proper sequence will be clear after complete inquiry," Bundela added.

NDRF Director General (DG) Atul Karwal said his teams were coordinating with the Odisha state government and railway authorities.

The Balasore District Hospital resembled a battlefield, with injured people laying on stretchers in the hallway and rooms jam-packed with extra beds being arranged.

Harried medical staff were seen trying to help patients, many of whom were from states other than Odisha and faced difficulty communicating with the healthcare staff.

Police officers and locals have been volunteering to donate blood at several hospitals through the night, said officials.

State Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahoo said those injured in the accident were undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

All government and private hospitals, including the AIIMS at Bhubaneswar, in nearby districts have been put on alert.

Officials said that over 2,000 people gathered at the Balasore Medical College and Hospital at night to help the injured, and many also donated blood.

(With Agency Inputs)