Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited the Balasore District Hospital today and met with those injured in the train accident.

The death toll in the Odisha train catastrophe involving two express trains – the Bengaluru-Howrah Express and the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express – and a goods train near Balasore has risen to 238, according to South Eastern Railway.

Earlier, the Odisha Chief Minister visited the scene and assessed the situation.

Earlier today, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the accident site and ordered a thorough high-level investigation into the incident.

Railways Minister stated, “A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry”.

Meanwhile, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development, cut short his visit to Kolkata, West Bengal, and left for Balasore, Odisha, where several coaches of a passenger train derailed after colliding with a cargo carrier.

Odisha’s government has declared today a day of mourning.

According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident occurred at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw arrived on the scene and oversaw the rescue operation.

Railways Minister further said, “A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry”.

“Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from the district administration”, Vaishnaw added.

Also read: CM Patnaik Declares One-Day State Mourning In Wake Of Deadly Triple Train Crash In Odisha