Third 'Oxygen Express' scheduled to reach Maharashtra today

Amid a sharp rise in the number of COVID cases and deaths in Maharashtra, 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 from Gujarat's Hapa on Rajkot Division of Western Railway, said the Indian Railways.

"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.

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, arrived in Maharashtra's Nagpur Friday 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. 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.

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.

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

( With inputs from ANI )