Third 'Oxygen Express' from Gujarat scheduled to reach Maharashtra today

Photo courtesy: ANI

Mumbai:  India is facing the second wave of coronavirus and Maharashtra is one the most affected states in the country. Keeping this situation in consideration, the third Oxygen Express carrying three tankers of liquid medical oxygen (LMO), each with about 14 tonnes LMO, is scheduled to reach Kalamboli in Maharashtra on Sunday (April 25) from Gujarat's Hapa on Rajkot Division of Western Railway, said the Indian Railways.

Maharashtra is among the ten states that have reported 74.53 per cent of the country's new COVID-19 cases and among the twelve states displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases, as per the Union Health Ministry.

It further stated that Maharashtra is among the eight States which cumulatively account for 69.94 per cent of India's total active cases. The state has reported the highest daily new cases at 67,160 in the last 24 hours, said the ministry. It further said that the state saw the maximum casualties at 676.

"An 'Oxygen Special' carrying 3 liquid medical oxygen tankers (each with about 14 tonnes) on wagons is planned from Hapa in Rajkot Division of Western Railway today destined to Kalamboli in Maharashtra. Oxygen tankers are supplied by Reliance Industries, Jamnagar," said the Indian Railways on Sunday (April 25).

The fourth Oxygen Express is planned from Lucknow today, it said. The Indian Railways is running Oxygen Express trains and will continue to run them over the next few days to transport liquid medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders across the country. Roll-on-roll-off trucks are being transported on flat wagons by the trains for a quick supply of medical oxygen.

The first Oxygen Express train, that left Visakhapatnam on Thursday (April 20), arrived in Maharashtra's Nagpur Friday (April 21) evening with seven tankers carrying the life-saving medical gas."Railways transported essential commodities and kept the supply chain intact even during the lockdown last year and continue to serve the nation in times of emergencies.

Indian Railways is working tirelessly to ensure that oxygen is supplied to corona patients in time across country.
First Oxygen Express loaded with Liquid Medical Oxygen tankers from Vizag has reached Nagpur.
3 Tankers have been offloaded at Nagpur,next destination is Nashik. pic.twitter.com/kmwj8trda5

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 23, 2021

This time, the movement of 'Oxygen Express' towards different parts of the country will help patients and different hospitals," the Railways had earlier said in a statement.

India recorded 3,49,691 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since the pandemic broke out last year.