Odisha Train Accident: Virat Kohli, Salman Khan, Sonu Sood, Akshay Kumar and more express grief on the incident

In a tragic incident that has jolted the hearts of the countrymen, at least 238 people were killed and 900 were injured when a passenger train hit the derailed coaches of another train in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday evening.

Many people are feared to be trapped inside the coaches. The Government of India is closely monitoring the situation as rescue and relief operations are underway. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are present on site and are taking stock of the situation.

News agency ANI has reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened a meeting to review the situation in relation to the rail accident.

Saddened by the development, several celebrities including those from the entertainment industry have expressed grief and offered condolences to those affected by the incident.

Popular Indian cricketer Virat 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.” Kohli is the most followed Asian celebrity on Instagram with over 250 million followers.

Megastar Salman Khan tweets, “Really saddened to hear about the accident, May God rest the souls of the deceased in peace, protect and give strength to the families and the injured from this unfortunate accident.”

Superstar Akshay Kumar said, “Heartbreaking to see the visuals from the tragic train accident in Odisha. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. My thoughts and condolences to the families of the affected during this difficult time. Om Shanti.”

Popular Bollywood actor Sonu Sood dropped a heartbreak emoticon as he shared a news article on the development.

Actor Junior NTR, who is one of the highest paid actors of the Telugu Cinema, tweeted, “Heartfelt condolences to the families and their loved ones affected by the tragic train accident. My thoughts are with each, and every person affected by this devastating incident. May strength and support surround them during this difficult time.”

Popular filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, who is known for his directing the film The Kashmir Files, too felt saddened to know about the development. He said, “Tragic and very shameful. How can 3 trains be involved in this age and time? Who is answerable? Prayers for all the families. Om shanti.”

While rescue and relief operations are underway, we pray for the speedy recovery of those affected in the incident. We offer our condolences to those affected by the incident.