World leaders express grief at deaths in Odisha train crash

 Leaders from across the world, including President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, expressed condolences for the triple train crash that occurred in Odisha in which over 260 people were killed.

Taking to Twitter, Leyen said, "Terrible news from India. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the Odisha train accident and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. The people of India are in our thoughts in this time of sorrow. Europe mourns with you @narendramodi"

On Friday evening, Bengaluru-Howrah superfast express hit the derailed coaches of Coromandel Express followed by a collision with a goods train causing a crash of several coaches and leaving 261 people dead.

Meanwhile, Netherlands PM Mark Rutte tweeted, "Shocked by the news of the terrible train accident in Odisha, India and the high number of casualties. My thoughts are with the families who have lost a loved one and with all those injured. @narendramodi, I wish your country and the people of India great strength at this time."

After the tragic accident, the Turkey embassy released a statement, "We have learned with deep sorrow that close to 300 people lost their lives and nearly 1000 people were injured last right as a result of a train crash in Odisha, India."

"We extend our condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident as well as the people and government of India and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," it added.

Sharing the above statement on Twitter, Firat Sunel, Turkey's ambassador to India also expressed its condolences to those who lost their family members in the accident and hope for the speedy recovery of those injured.

In the three-way train accident, the number of injured people reached over 1000, according to Railway officials. 17 coaches of the two trains derailed and were severely damaged in the accident that took place on Friday evening.

The South Eastern Railway said, "As per the information received till now, there are 261 casualties. Injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro."

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that the rescue operation in the Odisha triple train mishap that claimed the lives of 261 people has been completed and restoration work has begun.

Vaishnaw who arrived at the incident site in Balasore said that a high-level probe has been initiated and efforts will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached arrived at the accident site in Odisha.