The latest reports put the death toll at at least 275. More than 1,000 people have been hospitalized but about 800 of those involved in the accident are said to have been discharged.
According to reports, railway officials and the Indian minister in charge of the vast network, said on Sunday that a signal malfunction was the likely cause, which led to a route error. One of the passenger trains collided with a stationary train pulling a wagon, which hit another train going in the opposite direction.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Spokesperson, António Guterres, expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims, “as well as the people and the Government of India.”
He also wishes a speedy and full recovery to the injured.
The comforts of the heart
UN is India also tweeted condolences, adding “our thoughts and prayers are with everyone.”
About 2,000 people are believed to have traveled on the trains. Dozens of the dead have not been identified with some relatives still searching for their loved ones.
The rescue operation was completed on Saturday and work continues to clear the wreckage. A major investigation is underway into the cause of the disaster.
Preliminary findings suggest that both the passenger trains have approached a regional station in Balasore which has been given a green signal.
India has one of the largest railway networks in the world. The worst train disaster in its history occurred in 1981, when an overcrowded train was blown into a river during a cyclone in the state of Bihar, killing 800 people.
