Railways announce ex-gratia for accident victims

Railway Ministry today announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of school children and others who died in the train-bus collision in Telangana.
Making a statement in both Houses of Parliament, Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda said 18 people, including school children and bus driver, were killed and 18 others suffered injuries when a train rammed into a school bus at an unmanned railway crossing in Masayipet village in Telangana's Medak district.
"On humantarian grounds, an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of the kin of deceased, Rs one lakh to the grievously injured and Rs 20,000 to persons who sustained simple injury has been announced," Gowda said.

When MPs from Telengana said the ex-gratia announced was too less, Gowda said "this is the usual procedure and this is an ex-gratia. Compensation and other things will be taken care of by the railways."
The Minister said medical relief was immediately arranged to the injured persons by rushing the accident relief medical train to site and also about 10 road ambulances.