NEW DELHI, India — Rescuers have ended the search for survivors of a train crash that killed nearly 300 people and injured hundreds more in one of the worst rail disasters in Indian history, authorities said.

At least 288 people were killed on Friday and more than 800 injured when two passenger trains derailed, trapping people under wrecked carriages and overturned carriages, Indian Railways said on Saturday afternoon.

The injured passengers were taken to local hospitals from the crash site in the Balasore district of the eastern state of Odisha, some 137 miles southwest of Kolkata.

As of Saturday, 1,175 patients were admitted to private hospitals and 793 of them have been discharged. Of the 382 remaining in hospitals, two are in critical condition while the rest are stable.

Rescue teams gather around damaged railcars at the crash site of a three-train collision near Balasore in the eastern state of Odisha on Saturday.DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP – Getty Images

Sudhanshu Sarangi, director of the Odisha fire department, said some survivors were in serious condition and the chances of finding more survivors were fading.

«A crane has arrived, let’s pull up [train cars] one by one, but we don’t expect any survivors below them. We are discouraged, we have never seen so many bodies in our life,” he said.

The survivors spoke of the horror of the moment of the crash. «It was moving smoothly but suddenly the accident happened and within 30-40 seconds we see so many people injured, dead and cries for help everywhere,» Anubhav Das, 27, from Cuttack in Odisha, who was aboard one of the derailed trains, he told NBC News.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who toured the crash site and saw the victims in hospital on Saturday, said those responsible would be held accountable.

«This is a painful and heartbreaking incident,» he said. «The government will leave no stone unturned in treating the injured. People who have lost their lives cannot be brought back to life, but the government stands with their families during this time of grief.»

«It is a serious incident for the government and instructions have been given to investigate from all angles,» he continued. «The guilty will be severely punished.»

Modi praised the citizens who «dived» in helping rescue operations after the accident.

«The courage and compassion shown by the people of our nation in the face of adversity is truly inspiring,» he said. tweeted on Saturday. «As soon as the train accident in Odisha happened, people plunged into helping the rescue operations. Several people lined up to donate blood.»

“I congratulate each and everyone who belongs to the teams of railways, NDRF, ODRAF, local authorities, police, firefighters, volunteers and others who are working tirelessly on the ground and strengthening rescue operations. Proud of their dedication,” he added. in other cheep.

Tributes and condolences have poured in from world leaders and religious figures, including the Dalai Lama.

Hundreds of rescuers scrambled over the rubble and cut through the shattered steel to free the survivors. They were assisted by engineering and medical teams from the Indian armed forces that were dispatched from multiple bases, an army spokesman told the Indian news agency ANI.

«The restoration work has started from one end, the most important thing at the moment is to clear the area and stay away from the machines deployed in the restoration process,» he said.

He added that the government would launch an investigation into the «root cause» of the accident.

There were about 1,257 passengers booked on the Coromandal Express, of which 10-12 carriages derailed and 1,039 passengers booked on the Yashwantpur Express, which crashed into the wreckage of the Coromandal Express and also derailed at around 6:55 p.m. (9 :25 a.m. ET) on Friday. a government spokesman told ANI.

Families of the dead will receive Rs 1 million ($12,000), while the seriously injured will receive Rs 200,000 ($2,400), with Rs 50,000 ($607) for minor injuries, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Twitter. . Some state governments have also announced compensation.

Previous train accidents have been attributed to human error or the use of outdated signaling equipment.

“I offer my condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones,” the Dalai Lama said in a statement, adding that “as a show of solidarity” his trust would make a donation towards medical treatment and relief efforts.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “The pictures and reports of the train crash in Odisha, India break my heart. I send my deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones and keep the injured in my thoughts. In this difficult time, Canadians stand with the people of India.»

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Turkish Foreign Ministry also offered their condolences.

India’s worst rail accident so far occurred in August 1995, when two trains collided near New Delhi, killing 358 people.

In November 2016, more than 100 people were killed when 14 carriages of a passenger train skidded off the track in the north of the country.

Ravi Mishra reported from New Delhi and Leila Sackur from London.