7 Injured as 11 Coaches of SMVT Bengaluru-Kamakhya Express Derail in Odisha

At least seven people were injured as eleven coaches of the SMVT Bengaluru-Kamakhya AC Express derailed in Odisha's Cuttack district on Sunday. The incident occurred around 11:54 am at Nirgundi near Manguli, when the train, traveling from Bengaluru to Kamakhya in Assam, veered off the tracks, prompting a rescue operation by multiple emergency teams.

Odisha Fire Service Director-General Sudhansu Sarangi confirmed that seven injured individuals had been rescued and taken to a nearby hospital. He added, “The maximum number of injured persons should not be more than 10.”

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Fire Service were promptly deployed to assist in the ongoing rescue efforts. A relief train has also been dispatched to the site to aid the stranded passengers.

East Coast Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Ashok Kumar Mishra, explained that efforts were underway to restore the railway line as quickly as possible. He further stated, “Our priority is to restore the line at the earliest and accordingly, other trains will be diverted.”

In response to the derailment, three trains—Dhauli Express, Neelachal Express, and Purulia Express—were diverted to alternative routes. To assist passengers, the railways have activated two helplines: 8455885999 and 8991124238.