Odisha train accident: On June 2 (Friday), the nation witnessed one of the deadliest train mishaps which left more than 250 people dead and almost 1,000 injured. The train crash involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday.
The triple rail crash site of the yesterday's accident was scene of despair. Huge cranes and bulldozers have been brought in to raise the last coach which rescuers had not been able to reach as yet in operations to pull out survivors and the dead from the mangled steel of three trains that derailed one on top of another in a horrific sequence.
What is noteworthy here is that Coromandel Express has been involved in another accident on February 13, 2009. It was too a Friday, when Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Jajpur Keonjhar Road, resulting in 15 deaths and several injuries. The cause remains unknown till date.
This is not the first time that Coromandel Express has met with an accident. The history of Coromandel train accidents includes several notable incidents. Due to poor track condition, on March 15, 2002, Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed at the Padugupadu road over-bridge in Tamil Nadu's Nellore district. On February 13, 2009, Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Jajpur Keonjhar Road, resulting in 15 deaths and several injuries. On December 6, 2011, it derailed near Nellore in Andhra Pradesh killing 32 passengers and injuries to many others. On January 14, 2012, a fire broke out in Chennai-Howrah Coromandel Express' general compartment near Lingaraj Railway Station. However, no injuries were reported.
