Three trains -- Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train -- were involved in the accident, one of the worst railway tragedies in the country. Citing reports available till 2 pm Saturday, the official said 288 people were killed in the accident.

Jaya Verma Sinha, a senior railway official, said the preliminary investigations revealed that a signal was given to the high-speed Coromandel Express to run on the main track line, but the signal later changed, and the train instead entered an adjacent loop line where it rammed into a freight loaded with iron ore.

LIVE UPDATES Odisha train accident LIVE: Railways to recommend probe to CBI 1 min read . Updated: 04 Jun 2023, 10:38 PM IST Livemint Odisha Train Accident LIVE Updates: Coromandel Express.

The accident occurred when the Coromandel Express, travelling on the main line heading south, crashed into a freight train parked on a loop line at the Bahanaga Bazar station.