BENGALURU: All the passengers from the state on board the trains that met with an accident near Balasore of Odisha are safe, Karnataka Railways DIG Shashi Kumar said here on Saturday.
While speaking to the media, Shashi Kumar explained that the train which left from Karnataka has also suffered damage. Among the 23 coaches, three have been affected.
As of now, there is no information on the presence of any passenger from the state in these coaches. The railway officials are in touch with the authorities in Odisha since the accident, the DIG said.
Helplines have been set up at four locations and there are no reports of any passenger from the state suffering injuries or being dead, he reiterated.
The coaches in which people from Karnataka travelled have not been damaged in the incident. A team of officers of the rank of DySP and others would be sent to the spot, DIG Shashi Kumar explained.
"We have started four help desks and received no calls so far. False information should not be given and till now no news of deaths of passengers from Karnataka has been received," he stated.
Sources explained that 110 passengers travelled in the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (Bengaluru)- Howrah Express train which met with an accident on Friday. Fortunately, all of them escaped unhurt in the tragedy.
The passengers hailed from Kalasa town of Chikkamagaluru district and travelled from Bengaluru in S5, S6 and S7 coaches.
After the engine was changed, all of them were shifted to the first coach after the engine. The last four coaches suffered severe damages after being hit by another train, sources explained.