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Odisha Train Accident: Death Toll Rises to 288, PM Modi Assures Action Against Guilty | What We Know So Far
Odisha Train Accident: Earlier in the day, PM Modi reached the train crash site in Odisha's Balasore and took stock of the situation.
Balasore: A day after the deadly train tragedy in Odisha’s Balasore, the Indian Railways on Saturday said the death toll from the accident has climbed to 288. “As of 2 PM today, the death toll in the Odisha train crash has risen to 288 while 747 people have been injured along with 56 grievously injured,” Indian Railways said in a statement.
PM Modi Visits Accident Site
Earlier in the day, PM Modi reached the train crash site in Odisha’s Balasore and took stock of the situation. He was accompanied by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
After inspecting the site, PM Modi spoke to Cabinet Secretary and Health Minister and asked them to ensure all needed help is provided to the injured and their families. He also visited Fakir Mohan Hospital in Balasore, where some of the passengers injured in Friday’s accident involving three trains were admitted.
“It’s a painful incident. The government will not be able to bring them back, who lost their lives [in the accident], but the government is with their kin in this grief. This incident is very serious for the government. The government will leave no stone unturned for the treatment of those injured. Instructions have been given for every type of investigation and whoever is found guilty will not be spared,” PM Modi said.
What Preliminary Investigations Reveal?
Preliminary investigations have revealed that a signal was given to Coromandel Express to enter the main line but it was taken off and the train entered the loop line, where it crashed into a goods train parked there.
The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which were carrying around 2,000 passengers, and a goods train occurred around 7 PM on Friday near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar.
Seventeen coaches were derailed and were severely damaged in the accident, trapping hundreds of passengers. Both passenger trains were at a high speed and it has been cited by experts as one of the main reasons for the high number of casualties.
Rescue Operation Concludes
Large cranes were deployed to move the wreckage and gas cutters were used to extricate the bodies from the mangled, toppled coaches. The rescue operation was wrapped up Saturday afternoon and restoration work started. The injured were admitted to four hospitals.
Centre Announces Compensation
The Indian Railways have announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh for those grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.
PM Modi has announced an additional ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Other states too have announced assistance.
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