Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from district administration. A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry
Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Balasore, Jun 3 (PTI) More than 230 people were killed and about 900 injured in a horrific train crash in Odisha, involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train, officials said on Saturday.
“Death toll rises to 233 in the Balasore Train Accident,” Odisha Chief Secretary PK Jena tweeted.
The train crash, one of the deadliest in India in the recent times, happened near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday.
As per the The Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep rescue operations are on and all hospitals in the nearby districts have been put on alert. Three NDRF units, 4 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force units, over 15 fire rescue teams, 30 doctors, 200 police personnel and 60 ambulances have been mobilised to the site. Indian army also pressed in to action. We are continuously engaged in rescue operations since last night. More columns (of Army) are coming from Kolkata, Col SK Dutta, Indian Army told The Nationalist post.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared one-day state mourning in view of the horrific train crash.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted to say that that air force has been called in to help with rescue operations.
Mr Vaishnaw has also announced compensation of ₹ 10 lakh for those who have died, ₹ 2 lakh for those seriously injured and ₹ 50,000 for those who sustained minor injuries in the accident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too expressed his distress over the accident, and announced a compensation of ₹ 2 lakh for the family of the dead and ₹ 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
