“Devastated by the loss of lives” - Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, and others express grief over horrific Odisha train accident
Team India batters Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer as well as former cricketers Gautam Gambhir and Venkatesh Prasad, among others, expressed anguish over the horrific Odisha train accident that happened on Friday, June 2.
As per media reports, over 230 people died while more than 900 were injured in a crash that involved three trains - Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train.
On Saturday, June 3, a number of Indian cricketers took to social media to condole the death of passengers, while also expressing shock over the accident.
Kohli tweeted:
“Saddened to hear about the tragic train accident in Odisha. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost their loved ones and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.”
Saddened to hear about the tragic train accident in Odisha. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost their loved ones and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
Former India opener and BJP MP Gambhir wrote:
“Devastated by the loss of lives in Odisha. May god give strength to the families of victims. Wishing speedy recovery to those injured. Nation stands with you.”
Devastated by the loss of lives in Odisha. May god give strength to the families of victims. Wishing speedy recovery to those injured. Nation stands with you.
Apart from Kohli and Gambhir other members of the Indian cricket fraternity also took to social media to express their thoughts on the Odisha train tragedy.
Here are some of the reactions:
Deeply shocked, and praying for the victims of tragic train accident in Odisha.
My heart goes out to each and everyone affected by the train accident in Odisha.
May God give strength to the grieving families & wishing a swift recovery to those injured.
Deeply shocked and saddened by the gut-wrenching train accident in Odisha. Heartfelt condolences and prayers to those affected. May strength and support surround everyone involved. Salute to the ones who have come forth to help 🙏
A tragic incident in Odisha. My heartfelt condolences to the familes who lost their loved ones. Om Shanti. 🙏🏼
My heart goes out to the families affected by the Odisha train accident. My deepest condolences during this difficult time. 🙏 #OdishaTrainAccident #Condolences https://t.co/hXYQVnwKh8
Sad to hear about the train accident in Odisha.
Praying for strength and peace to all the affected 🙏
Extremely disheartening to learn about this very unfortunate accident in Odisha.
I pray for speedy recovery of the injured and offer my sincere condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. twitter.com/ani/status/166…
Heart goes out to the affected people and their families. 🙏 Om Shanti https://t.co/PHqwQlfy5U
Very pained and anguished by the tragic train accident in Odisha.
Passenger safety must be prioritised. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones and prayers for smooth recovery of the injured.
Shocking visuals from Odisha. Praying for those affected by the tragic train accident 🙏
Heart wrenching news coming from Odisha. My thoughts and prayers for the families who lost their lives in this horrific train accident. #OdishaTrainTragedy
Deeply saddened to learn about the devastating train accident in Odisha. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their dear ones, and I hope the injured make a full recovery. #OdishaTrainTragedy
Saddened to hear about the tragic train accident in Odisha. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected.
The Indian cricket team is currently in England, preparing for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, which will be played in London from June 7-11.
How the Odisha train accident occurred
According to an ANI report, several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, on its way to Howrah, derailed and fell on adjacent tracks.
The 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express was coming from the opposite direction on the parallel track and rammed into the derailed coaches. Around 12 Coromandel Express coaches derailed and hit the stationary goods train on the third track.
According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the Odisha train accident took place around 7 pm on Friday.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena on Saturday confirmed that the death toll in the Odisha train accident has risen to 238.
He told ANI:
“The last figure the DM confirmed to me was 238. Some media channels are saying the number is 270, 288 and 300 plus. But we can confirm. About 900 people are injured and they are getting necessary treatment.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Odisha on Saturday to take stock of the situation.