Mamata likely to visit Cuttack & Bhubaneswar to meet those injured in triple train crash

PTI, Jun 6, 2023, 9:33 AM IST

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit hospitals in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in neighbouring Odisha on Tuesday to meet those injured in the triple train crash undergoing treatment there.

Banerjee to be accompanied by state ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya and Shashi Panja, is also likely to meet those undergoing treatment at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital in Paschim Medinipore district while returning from Bhubaneswar, a source in the state secretariat said.

”Besides meeting the patients Banerjee will be overseeing how they are being treated. She is also going to talk to the family members of the injured. She is also likely to meet those undergoing treatment at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital while returning, but that is yet not confirmed,” he told PTI.

At least 206 injured people are being treated at different hospitals in Odisha — primarily in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the official said, adding that there are also several unidentified dead bodies lying in different morgues in Odisha.

At the moment there are around 60 injured people undergoing treatment at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.

So far, 90 people from West Bengal have been killed in the triple train accident on June 2 and 73 have been brought back to the state, Banerjee said on Monday.

The West Bengal government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and a job of a special home guard to the next of kin of those killed in the accident. It has also offered an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh to those who are gravely injured and Rs 50,000 to people who are less injured and Rs 25,000 for having minor injuries.

The Mamata Banerjee government has also announced to provide a one-time ex-gratia of Rs 2,000 and free ration for four months to the family of those who are not injured but traumatised in the accident.

The chief minister has also announced that the next of kin of those who have lost their limbs in the accident will also be offered jobs as special home guards.

Migrant labourers, who were travelling to the southern states, will also be offered jobs under the 100-day work scheme.

The Bengal CM will be handing over the compensation cheques and appointment letters to the next of kin of the victims on Wednesday.

The Khurda Road Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rinkesh Ray on Monday said that apart from 278 deaths, 1,100 people were injured in the June 2 accident.

The Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train, derailing most of its coaches at 7 pm on June 2.

A few coaches of Coromandel toppled over the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express which was passing by at the same time. A goods train was also involved in the crash.

Investigators are looking into possible human error, signal failure, and other possible causes behind the three-train crash.