More than 1,000 workers and two accident relief trains are working tirelessly to restore the damage caused by a train collision in Balasore district in Odisha.
Considered to be one of the deadliest train disasters in the country in the last ten years, this tragic incident claimed the lives of 288 passengers and caused severe injuries to over 900 others.
The state's authorities have deployed all necessary resources to bring relief to the victims and restore the transportation infrastructure.
The Ministry of Railways in its tweet said that more than seven excavators and three to four railway and road cranes have been deployed for early repair work.
Although the initial inquiry conducted by a group of railway officials suggested that a signal malfunction could have been a factor in the three-train crash, the Indian Railways Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, told Indian media that it had nothing to do with Kavach - an innovative Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System designed to help the Indian Railways in achieving zero accidents.
"It happened due to a change in electronic interlocking... It has nothing to do with Kavach. The reason is not what Mamata Banerjee said yesterday. This incident happened due to change in electronic interlocking," Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Several videos depicting the restoration efforts at the accident site have been circulating on the internet, revealing a large number of people tirelessly working to rebuild the damaged tracks.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited the accident spot and took charge of the incident.
"It's a painful incident. We might not bring back the lives lost but we are with the families of the victims at this hour of grief. The government has taken very serious note of the incident and will leave no stone unturned in treating the injured passengers. An investigation has been ordered and those found guilty will not be spared," PM Modi said.
Meanwhile, 48 trains have been cancelled, 39 diverted and 10 trains have been short-terminated due to the accident.