Officials announced on Sunday that a train derailment in India, which resulted in the tragic deaths of nearly 300 individuals and left hundreds injured, was caused by an electronic signaling system error.

This error led to a train switching tracks incorrectly and colliding with a freight train in the eastern state of Odisha. The collision caused a catastrophic pileup involving a second passenger train.

Rescue and recovery efforts were underway as authorities worked to clear the wreckage of the two derailed passenger trains in Balasore district, CBS News reported.

This rail accident is one of the deadliest India has experienced in decades. On Sunday, an official statement from the Odisha government revised the death toll to 275, while over 850 individuals were reported injured as of Saturday night.

The Indian army, along with the police, the National Disaster Response Force, and other rescue teams, collaborated to search for survivors.

Sudhanshu Sarangi, the chief of Odisha’s fire services, expressed limited optimism about finding survivors alive, stating, “We are not very hopeful of rescuing anyone alive.”

Distressing footage from the accident site depicted bodies lined up along the train tracks, while injured survivors were transported to hospitals. Pradeep Jena, the Chief Secretary of Odisha, mentioned that over 200 ambulances were deployed during this time.

Written by staff