One person was killed and 15 others were injured when eleven coaches of the Bangalore-Kamakhya AC Superfast Express derailed near Nergundi railway station, about 16km from Cuttack, on Sunday.

The East Coast Railway, in a release said: “Suvankar Roy, aged 22, lost his life in the accident. A female passenger suffered grievous injury and two other male passengers are being treated for simple injuries.”

It also announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5,00,000 to the next of kin of the deceased. An amount of, ₹2,50,000 for grievous and ₹50,000 for simple injuries suffered by passengers was also announced.

“Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will hold a detailed inquiry of the incident of derailment of coaches of 12551 Bangalore-Kamakhya AC SF Express. Efforts are underway to restore normalcy to the affected routes as soon as possible. Safety protocols have been strictly followed during the rescue operations,” the release said.

Subash Chandra Ray, administrative officer at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, told The Telegraph, “We received 16 people with injuries to their heads and other body parts. One of them succumbed to their injuries. Three other passengers with severe injuries are undergoing treatment, one in the trauma center. The other 12 have been discharged after preliminary treatment. With the support of railway officials, we sent them to their respective destinations. Three teams of doctors are attending to the injured.”

Suvankar Roy hailed from Purba Medinipur in Bengal. “Suvankar was 23. He was traveling with his mother,” said a senior Odisha government official.

Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi posted on X: “Deeply concerned about the derailment of Kamakhya Express near Nergundi station in Cuttack. Grateful that all passengers are safe. Authorities are on-site, ensuring assistance and restoring normalcy at the earliest. Helplines activated for support.”

The East Coast Railway, in a release, stated: “The 12551 Bangalore-Kamakhya AC Superfast Express derailed near Nergundi Station in the Cuttack-Nergundi Railway Section of Khurda Road Division of East Coast Railway at approximately 11.54 am today.”

The train was en route to Kamakhya when the mishap occurred near Nergundi railway station. The train runs from Bangalore to Kamakhya in Assam. Passengers deboarded the train with their luggage with the help of local people after the accident took place.

The locals played the role of good samaritans, providing food and water to the injured and other passengers.

The Cuttack battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the spot and joined the rescue operation. Most of the passengers were in a state of shock. The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) also participated in the rescue operation.

Ashok Kumar Mishra, chief public relations officer (CPRO) of the East Coast Railway, said, “Accident relief and medical relief trains were immediately dispatched to the location to ensure passenger safety and facilitate restoration work. A special train was arranged to transport the stranded passengers to their respective destinations. As many as 12 trains have been diverted, and the situation has improved.”

The railways have constituted a probe team to investigate the reasons behind the derailment.