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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had planned to attend the inauguration of new high-speed trains that highlight the government’s investment in infrastructure. Instead, on Saturday, he visited the site of the country’s deadliest rail accident in decades. At least 261 people were killed, and approximately 900 others were injured in a “three-way accident” that involved two passenger trains and one freight train in Odisha. Questions about safety in India’s transportation system, which carries over eight billion passengers annually, have been raised once again.
The cause of the disaster remains unknown, but at least 17 cars of the two passenger trains derailed and some were twisted in the subsequent collision. Rescue workers are still recovering bodies, and the trains had been carrying around 2,200 people in total.
Modi met with officials to assess the damage and promised assistance to the victims’ families. He wrote on Twitter, “In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families.” The government declared a day of mourning and cancelled dozens of trains. The Army, Air Force, and National Disaster Response Force provided support.
Friday’s accident was the deadliest in India since 1999 when two trains collided, killing approximately 285 individuals. India’s railway system, which extends for over 40,000 miles, has spread across the country since it was developed in the 19th century by British colonial authorities.
A committee appointed in 2012 to review the safety of the rail network cited “a grim picture of inadequate performance largely due to poor infrastructure and resources.” As a result, the Modi administration invested tens of billions of dollars to renovate and modernize the railway system. The prime minister had been set to inaugurate India’s 19th Vande Bharat Express train between Mumbai and Goa, which is an electric model with collision-reducing technology.
