India train crash

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The collision between three trains in the state of Odisha claimed more than 280 lives and left more than 1000 people injured. Trains are running again at the spot where the crash happened but the families involved are grieving; searching for missing loved ones or waiting for news of those being treated in hospital. We bring together a volunteer, Govind Dalai, who was one of the first on the scene and doctors Manoj Kumar Barik and Amrit Pattojoshi. Dr Barik was working in the local hospital on the night the crash happened, and Dr Pattojoshi, a psychiatrist, has been involved in identifying those who lost their lives. They discuss the support they are trying to provide to the families of victims. Sunita North, a counsellor at one of those hospitals where the victims have been taken to, explains about the different language barriers, as a lot of those on the train were migrant workers. An investigation continues into the cause of the disaster. The government’s initial suggestion is a possible fault with the signalling system. The country’s railway network is one of the largest on the planet and a source of national identity. But derailments remain a problem; a nationwide government railway safety report for the years 2019 to 2020, showed there were 40 derailments involving 33 passenger trains. We also hear from two women, Shweta in New Delhi and Riddhi in Ambala City, about their experiences of Indian railways and their concerns about safety, following this latest crash. A co-production between the BBC OS team and Boffin Media. (Photo: The National Disaster Response Force Rescue continues work at the site of a train accident at Odisha Balasore, India, 03 June 2023. Credit: Piyal Adhikary/EPA)