Death toll in major rail disaster in India jumps to 207

More than 200 people were killed when three trains collided in the eastern part of the country, a senior official said

The number of people killed in a derailment involving two passanger trains and a freight train in India has risen to 207, Odisha State Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said in the early hours of Saturday. He added that 900 were injured.

The tragedy occurred at a station in the city of Balasore on Friday evening. According to Indian Railways spokesman Amitabh Sharma, a passenger train had crashed into a freight train, with 10 to 12 of its cars falling on the opposite track. Sometime afterwards, a second passenger train had collided with the lying cars and derailed as well.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that rescue teams from India’s other states have been deployed to Odisha to assist local first responders. More than 110 ambulances have been dispatched to evacuate survivors, officials said. 

The Odisha authorities have declared a day of mourning on Sunday.

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