More than 290 people were killed and over 900 have been injured in a horrific train derailment that occurred on Friday evening at around 7 pm in Odisha’s Balasore. The derailment of 10 to 12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express caused them to fall onto the opposite track. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Balasore on Saturday around 4 pm and met the victims and their family.
After taking stock of the situation at the Balasore train crash site, PM Modi left for a hospital to meet the victims of the train tragedy.
Earlier on Saturday (June 2) the PM chaired a meeting to take stock of the situation in the wake rail accident in Odisha in which 261 people lost their lives and about 900 were injured with the Centre and state governments focused on relief efforts to provide succour to people impacted by the huge tragedy.
PM Modi visited Odisha today in the wake of a three-way rail accident that took place on June 3 and involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and the goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station in Balasore district. Seventeen coaches of the passenger trains were de-railed and severely damaged.
News Agency ANI shared visuals from the ground of PM Modi’s visit
He also visited the site of the accident in Balasore and then went to the hospital in Cuttack, sources said and reviewed the situation in the wake of the train mishap during his visit to Odisha. PM Modi had on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also reached Balasore. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited the site of the tragedy. Vaishnaw said a detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry.
He said the rescue operation has been completed and restoration work has started. “We will thoroughly investigate this incident and will ensure such incidents don’t happen in future,” he said.
The minister said it was a big tragic accident and added that the Railways, NDRF, SDRF, and state government were involved in the rescue operation.
“Best possible healthcare facilities will be provided. Compensation was announced yesterday. A high-level committee has been formed to inquire about it,” he said.
While the Odisha government declared one-day mourning, the BJP deferred the programmes to be held on Saturday in connection with the Modi government completing nine years in office. DMK also cancelled its events scheduled for Saturday.
The death toll in the accident, one of the biggest in recent memory, has risen to 261.
South Eastern Railway said that as per the information received till now there are 261 casualties.
Injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro, it said.
The scale of tragedy was evident from the visuals of the accident site with some bogeys thrown wide off from the track, crushed or in mangled condition and belongings of passengers strewn around.
The preliminary report released on Saturday by the State Emergency Operation Centre of Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner said 17 coaches of these two trains have been de-railed and severely damaged and 238 people killed and around 900 injured. The accident took place at around 7 am at Bahanaga Bazar Station in Balasore district of the state.
The report said all the injured and trapped passengers have been rescued. Several NDRF teams, five ODRAF units and 24 Fire Services and Emergency Units are engaged in rescue operations.
Over 100 medical teams with paramedical staff along with medicines have been mobilized to the accident site for medical treatment, the statement said.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) DG Atul Karwal told ANI that nine teams of NDRF – more than 300 rescuers – are working in coordination with SDRF and other agencies in rescue efforts.
“The force with which the three trains collided with each other resulted in several coaches getting crushed and being in a mangled condition there. It is a challenge to cut through them and get inside to ensure that the live victims are not affected,” he said.
“We are hopeful that as we work through the day today and clear more coaches, we will find more live people. We are working with all the forces who are on the ground with total coordination. We hope that this operation will be completed by today evening,” he added.
Over 200 ambulances were engaged in moving the injured to hospitals in Soro, Balasore, Bhadrak and Cuttack.
Thirty buses have been engaged for moving stranded passengers. The Odisha government is providing free transport facilities for stranded passengers of Odisha and West Bengal to their destinations.
Free medical treatment is being provided to injured persons at government and private hospitals in the State.
Locals in Balasore pitched in to help the accident victims. They also queued up to donate blood for the injured.
“Injured people are being brought here. I felt that I should donate blood. I hope it will save some lives. I appeal to youth to come and donate their blood,” said Sudhanshu, a local resident.
“I donated blood, my friends also donated the blood. I pray that everyone goes to their homes safely,” said Vibhuti Sharan, also a local resident.
The railways announced an ex-gratia 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 who got minor injuries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too expressed his distress over the accident, and 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 PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced an assistance amount of Rs 5 lakh for the family of deceased and Rs 1 lakh for injured in Balasore train accident.
Odisha Chief Minister reviewed the situation with senior officials. Odisha Chief Secretary also discussed the situation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin through virtual mode.
The South Eastern Railway has cancelled 33 trains and diverted 36 trains to other routes.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed Mi-17 helicopters for the evacuation of the deceased and injured in the Odisha triple train accident. Army teams have been deployed to assist in the evacuation and treatment of injured citizens.
(With inputs from ANI)
