Finance
Following one of India’s most tragic rail accidents, Chief Minister Naveen Patanik declared a One-Day State Mourning on June 3 (Saturday).
A note shared by the CMO in this regard read:
“In view of tragic rail accident at Bahanaga, Baleswar on 2nd June, 2023, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik has ordered for State mourning for a day and hence no State celebration to take place on 3rd June through out the State.”
The death toll in the Odisha train tragedy rose to 238 on Saturday as the Army, NDRF, and rescue workers worked through the night to extract survivors and dead bodies from the mangled remains of three trains that collided near the Bahangabazaar station in the Balasore district of Odisha.
Approximately 900 passengers have been hurt and are being treated in surrounding hospitals.
This is one of India’s deadliest train tragedies in recent memory. A train crashed near the Bahanaga Baazar station in the Balasore district, some 250 kilometers south of Kolkata and 170 kilometers north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 p.m. on Friday evening. The Railway Ministry promptly launched an investigation to determine what caused the mishap.
According to an Indian Railways announcement, A M Chowdhary, Commissioner Railway Safety, South East Circle, would lead the probe into the train catastrophe. The Commissioner of Railway Safety is overseen by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
On the approach to Howrah, several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express derailed and landed on neighboring lines, according to an official.
“These derailed coaches collided with the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and its coaches capsized too,” he said.
Several coaches of the Coromandel Express, which was travelling to Chennai, derailed and collided with the waggons of a goods train, which was also involved in the tragedy, he added.
The bodies were pulled out from beneath the derailed coaches using gas cutters. A passenger said, “Some of the scenes at the site were too horrific to describe”.
As mangled coaches lay scattered everywhere, some of which had mounted on others and others of which had turned turtle from the collision, the nearby railway tracks were nearly completely wrecked.
The accident victims were being treated at various hospitals, according to State Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahoo.
All public and private hospitals in the surrounding districts, including the AIIMS in Bhubaneswar, have been placed on alert.
According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Air Force was also called in to assist with the rescue efforts.
“Rushing to the site in Odisha. My prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured and condolences to the bereaved families. Rescue teams mobilised from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. NDRF, State govt. teams and Airforce also mobilised. Will take all hands required for the rescue ops,” he tweeted
Relief trains with medical equipment, physicians, and paramedics have arrived from Kharagpur and Bhadrak. A special train is also on its way from Balasore to Howrah, carrying roughly 200 stranded passengers. Passengers at Kharagpur station are given water, tea, and food. South Eastern Railway said in a statement that food packages will be distributed at Howrah station upon the arrival of the trains.
The railroads offered an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 10 lakh to the deceased’s surviving family members, Rs. 2 lakh to those who sustained severe injuries, and Rs. 50,000 to those who sustained lesser injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his sorrow over the accident, announcing an additional ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the deceased’s surviving family members and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
