Balasore, June 3: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday morning arrived at the accident spot in Odisha's Balasore where three trains collided claiming the lives of 233 people and injuring around 900.

After a collision occurred between the passenger train and goods train in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday, leaving at least 233 people dead and 900 people injured, Odisha chief secretary Pradeep Jena confirmed on Saturday. Odisha Train Crash With 233 Deaths One of the Deadliest Accidents in Indian Railways History; Here’s a Look at Other Fatal Train Crashes Since Independence.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Announces Ex-Gratia of Rs 10 Lakh to Kin of Deceased

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development, Dharmendra Pradhan also cut short his visit to Kolkata in West Bengal and left for Balasore in Odisha where several coaches of a passenger train derailed after colliding with a goods carriage. The Odisha government has declared a day of mourning on Saturday after the train derailment. Odisha Train Derailment: Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Train Derail Near Bahanaga After Hitting Goods Train; Death Toll Rises to 233, Says Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena (See Pics and Video).

Watch Video: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Arrives at Train Accident Spot in Odisha

The Konkan Railway officials informed that the Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express's flagging-off ceremony has been cancelled due to the tragic accident in Odisha. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said he had ordered a high-level probe into the derailment on Friday night.

Speaking to ANI on the incident, Vaishnaw said the accident was unfortunate and the rescue operation began shortly after word of the incident reached his ministry. Several coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Bahanaga station in Odisha's Balasore after hitting a goods train.

According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident took place around 7 pm on Friday. "Around 7 pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Baleswar and fell on the opposite track. After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah dashed into those derailed coaches resulting in the derailment of its 3-4 coaches," Sharma told ANI.

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