Cuttack, March 30, 2025: A tragic train accident in Odisha’s Cuttack district on Sunday claimed one life and left three others injured after an express train derailed, officials said.
The SMVT Bengaluru-Kamakhya AC Express derailed at Nirgundi near Manguli at 11.54 am, causing eleven coaches to go off track, according to Ashok Kumar Mishra, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the East Coast Railway.
The deceased was identified as 22-year-old Suvankar Roy from Alipurduar, West Bengal. Railway officials stated that he jumped from the train after the derailment, resulting in his death. However, authorities are awaiting the postmortem report to confirm the exact cause.
A statement from East Coast Railways confirmed that one female passenger suffered grievous injuries, while two male passengers sustained minor injuries. Earlier, Cuttack District Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde had reported that seven people were injured, but railway authorities later clarified that only three suffered injuries directly linked to the derailment.
Officials noted that four additional individuals were taken to the hospital but were not injured in the accident. They were patients returning home after receiving treatment in Bengaluru and were rescued from the derailed coaches.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed concern over the incident and assured that authorities were providing necessary assistance while working to restore normalcy. He also confirmed that helplines had been activated for passenger support.
A special train was arranged to transport stranded passengers to Kamakhya.
The Railways announced ex-gratia compensation, offering Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for grievous injuries, and Rs 50,000 for minor injuries.
Additionally, more than a dozen passengers fell ill at the accident site and were treated at a temporary health camp. Medical personnel provided normal saline to counter dehydration and electrolyte imbalance before discharging them after first aid.
Cuttack Collector Shinde noted that some passengers became unwell after exiting air-conditioned coaches and being exposed to extreme heat. Authorities ensured sufficient drinking water was available. All injured individuals were admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for further treatment.
SCB MCH Administrative Officer Subhas Chandra Ray confirmed that one person had died and that the hospital was treating three male and four female patients.
Sudhansu Sarangi, Director General of Fire Services, said that rescue operations were swiftly conducted by fire personnel, along with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and were completed within hours.
The Railways announced that the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will conduct a detailed inquiry into the derailment. Meanwhile, restoration work is underway to normalize train operations. Safety protocols were followed during the rescue, officials said.
The train was en route to Kamakhya in Guwahati from Bengaluru when the accident occurred on the down line of the Howrah-Chennai route, affecting services. While mail and express trains are running on the Howrah-Visakhapatnam up line, 21 down line trains were diverted via Barang-Naraj-Kapilas Road instead of their usual route through Barang-Cuttack-Nirgundi.
Efforts are ongoing to clear the accident site quickly, with the up line already operational.
A female passenger recalled the moment of derailment, stating that she fell from her upper berth as the train suddenly shook, causing luggage and other belongings to crash down. Many passengers, including children and the elderly, panicked and screamed.
Residents of Manguli village were the first responders, providing water and assistance before official rescue teams arrived. Rama Sahoo, a local, described how several stranded passengers were crying for water after losing their bottles in the accident. Villagers helped elderly passengers to safety before fire service personnel reached the site.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das visited the accident site and criticized railway authorities for negligence, stating that frequent train accidents highlight the urgent need for improved safety measures.
