Bhubaneswar: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday engaged in a verbal duel on the prepare accident web site in Odisha`s Balasore district.
While interacting with the media, Mamata stated she bought data that the demise toll within the prepare crash would possibly exceed 500. At this, Vaishaw, who was standing beside her intervened instantly and stated, “As per Odisha government`s data, the death toll is 238.”
In response to the Railway Minister`s reply, the West Bengal CM reiterated the determine claiming that 238 was Friday evening`s toll. “Rescue work in three coaches is still not complete, hence the toll would go up further,” she ascertained.
The Chief Minister additionally stated that anti-collision was not fitted within the categorical trains which led to the mishap. She demanded a excessive-degree probe into the accident.
Odisha prepare accident: Death toll mounts to 288 as PM Modi assures of assist
The demise toll within the tragic prepare derailment in Odisha`s Balasore district has elevated to 288, with round 800 individuals injured, the South Eastern Railway (SER) stated on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited the accident web site and took inventory of the rescue and aid operations and in addition met with the accident survivors. Modi stated that the federal government will present the perfect medical remedy to the injured, including that these discovered responsible for the mishap won’t be spared.
Earlier on Saturday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vishnaw additionally stated {that a} detailed excessive-degree inquiry will probably be carried out by the rail security commissioner.
On Friday night, 21 coaches of the Coromandel Express and SMVT-Howrah Super Fast Express derailed, resulting in one of many worst railway accidents within the nation in over twenty years.
In a bulletin, the SE Railway stated: “Train number 12841 Shalimar-Chennai, Coromandel Express and Train number 12864 Sir M Visvesvaraya-Howrah Superfast Express got derailed near Bahanaga Bazar Railway station at around 6.55 p.m. on June 2.
“Accident aid trains with medical gear, medical doctors and paramedics had been rushed to the location from Kharagpur and Bhadrak. As per the knowledge obtained until now, there are 288 casualties. At least 56 individuals have grievous accidents whereas 747 have easy accidents who’ve been taken to the hospitals.”
It also said that the SER has run one special train from Howrah to Balasore at 4 p.m. on Saturday carrying the relatives of the affected passengers.
“Railways is taking each initiative to finish the restoration work. Meanwhile, a excessive-degree inquiry has been ordered into the incident, which is to be carried out by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Eastern Circle,” it said.
About 16 hours after the accident, which involved two Express trains — Coromandel and SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express — and a goods train, the rescue operation was announced to be complete on Saturday afternoon by the Railways, following which restoration work commenced.
According to the Railways, the Coromandel Express with over 1,200 passengers was heading towards Chennai, while the SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express was coming towards Howrah with 1,000 passengers.
A senior Railway Ministry official said that the massive accident happened after coaches of Coromandel Express derailed and hit a standing goods train on one side while some fell on the opposite rail track on which SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express was coming from the Yeshwantpur side and going towards Howrah.
The SMVP-Howrah Express hit the capsized coaches near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station.
According to railway sources, the initial investigation has showed that the Coromandel Express was put on loop line minutes before the accident, where it hit a stationary goods train. However, railway officials have denied the charge and said that a detailed inquiry is on and all the angles of sabotage, mechanical error or human error will be probed extensively.
The visuals from the accident site showed how the coaches of the two trains capsized on each other even as the locomotive of the Coromandel Express jumped on one of the wagons of the goods train. Several teams of NDRF and other agencies used gas cutters to bring out the survivors from the mangled coaches.
Since the accident of Friday evening, more than 200 ambulances along with 30 buses have been pressed into service, Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said.
The Railways has also announced an inquiry by A.M. Choudhary, CRS/SE Circle.
Railways has cancelled several trains on the Chennai-Howrah route, which is one the busiest routes of the national transporter.
