Page 9 - Train Accident

Opposition trying to score political points over train incident: Hardeep

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday accused opposition parties of trying to take "political mileage" on the recent train accident in Odisha and said the response of the government to reach out to the victims was swift to save the previous lives. He said the democracy in India is robust and no power can erode it, defending the Income Tax raids on BBC. He said the "previous actions" of the broadcaster suggested that it was in the hands of the "people with agenda on India". Puri was in Jammu to highlight the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, which recently completed its nine years in power. "My first engagement on reaching Jammu (on Monday) was a meeting with party workers. We observed a two-minute silence for all the lives lost and to pray for recovery of those injured in the train accident (on June 2)," the Union Housing and Urban Affairs minister told reporters at the BJP headquarters here. Responding to a question about the opposi

Train accident: Migrant workers' body demands judicial probe, compensation

The West Bengal Migrant Workers Union on Tuesday has demanded a judicial probe on the derailment of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel train near Bahanaga railway station in Odisha's Balasore district

Train crash: Man recovers his 'dead' son alive in Balasore makeshift morgue

Howrah resident Helaram Mallik travelled 235km to Balasore to recover his son alive from a makeshift morgue where he was kept with the bodies of those killed in the triple train accident. After pulling out his 24-year-old son Biswajit from the morgue at Bahanaga High School, Helaram rushed to Balasore Hospital before bringing him to Kolkata's SSKM Hospital. Biswajit, who suffered multiple bone injuries in his limbs, underwent two surgeries at the trauma care unit of SSKM Hospital here. "I saw the news on TV and then realised that I must call Biswajit to find out if he was okay. He did not initially pick up the calls and then when he did, I could hear a feeble voice on the other side," Helaram, who runs a kinara shop in Howrah, said. On the same night (June 2), he and his brother-in-law Dipak Das left for Balasore in an ambulance. "We could not find him as calls to his mobile went unanswered. We visited different hospitals but Biswajit was nowhere. We then went to a makeshift morgu

Odisha train accident: Bengal CM Mamata meets injured patients in Cuttack

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday visited injured passengers of the ill-fated Coromandel Express who are currently admitted in different hospitals in Cuttack. She visited the eye and surgery department of SCB Medical College and Hospital and interacted with the patients and assured them of all possible help. We are trying to help the injured passengers in all possible ways and had already dispatched teams of doctors, nurses and officers to take care of the injured passengers on the night of the accident on June 2, she told reporters here. Banerjee said there are 57 injured passengers from West Bengal in SCB Medical College. Some have lost their limbs, some of them have lost their eyes. It's such a tragedy that cannot be described through words, she told reporters. The Bengal Chief Minister said 103 bodies of passengers from West Bengal who died have so far been identified while 30 were still missing. I have already announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the

CBI takes over investigation into Balasore train accident, files FIR

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday announced that a CBI probe in the triple train crash has been recommended

Coromandel Express accident: Over 100 bodies remain unclaimed after search

The disaster struck on Friday, when a passenger train hit a stationary freight train, jumped the tracks and hit another passenger train passing in the opposite direction near the district of Balasore

Signals, systems, checks, balances: Explaining the Odisha train disaster

The Indian Railways is deploying a new train control system, as pressure on its infrastructure increases

Balasore train accident: Rescuer suffered hallucinations, says NDRF DG

Traumatised by what they saw when they reached the three train crash site in Odisha's Balasore district, one NDRF rescuer hallucinated that he was seeing blood and another lost his appetite, the director general of the force said on Tuesday. Nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were deployed for rescue operations following one of the worst railway disasters in India that killed at least 278 people and injured more than 900. According to official data, the force rescued 44 victims and retrieved 121 bodies from the spot. "I recently met the personnel who were involved in the rescue operation following the Balasore train accident... Someone told me he hallucinated that he was seeing blood every time he saw water. Another said he lost the urge to eat after this rescue operation," NDRF DG Atul Karwal said. In his inaugural address at the one-day 'Annual Conference on Capacity Building for Disaster Response-2023' being organised by the NDRF at the Vigyan Bhawan here, he said

CBI begins Coromandel Express crash probe, collects first-hand report

A 10-member CBI team, which is in Odisha to probe the triple train accident, inspected the tracks, signal room and talked to railway officials at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district on Tuesday. The CBI probe was recommended by the Railway Board on Sunday. In all, 278 people have lost their lives and over 1,200 injured in the June 2 train crash. A forensics team, which is accompanying the CBI officials, also spoke to signal room employees and sought information about the functioning of different equipment. The CBI will probe criminal angles into the accident as the Railways suspect sabotage and outside intervention behind the accident. Khurda Road Division DRM Rinkesh Roy had suspected physical tampering' of the signaling system. The Central agency had taken over Balasore GRP case No. 64 registered by Odisha Police on June 3, a day after the accident. "The CBI will probe all aspects. It is gathering information and the Railways will extend full cooperation," said South Ea

Ashwini Vaishnaw holds meetings with officials, after returning from Odisha

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who returned to Delhi from Balasore in Odisha after reviewing the rescue and restoration work following the triple train accident, is holding a series of high-level meetings with officials here. He is scheduled to speak to general managers of all zonal railways later in the evening through video conferencing, sources said. Sources said that the meeting focused on safety drills in zones with a special focus on signalling and telecom across the railway network. The train accident in Balasore involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which were carrying over 2,500 passengers, and goods train laden with iron ore occurred around 7 pm on Friday near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar. At least 278 people were killed and more than 900 were injured in the accident.

How to book train insurance for less than a rupee, claim up to Rs 10 lakh

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) provides an optional travel insurance policy for passengers buying tickets from its online portal.

Odisha accident: 12 parties demand Rail min's resignation, reject CBI probe

Rejecting a CBI probe into the Balasore train accident, Odisha units of 12 political parties, including Congress and Left parties, on Monday demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team and resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to pave way for an impartial inquiry. The parties, including Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, CPI(ML) Red Star, All India Forward Bloc, Samajwadi Party, RJD, NCP, RPI, AAP and Samata Kranti Dal, held a joint meeting here and passed a resolution stating that they rejected a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), accusing the central agency of "working at the behest of the BJP". They demanded that a court-monitored investigation by the central SIT be conducted into the case. However, the ruling BJD in Odisha welcomed the CBI probe and hoped that the "real culprit" behind the incident will be caught. "There is no problem with a CBI probe. We want the real culprit to be nabbed," senior BJD leader and Odisha minister ..

Train tragedy: Insurers ease claims process, set up helpline for settlement

Many insurance players, including SBI Life, on Monday announced the prioritisation of claims related to victims of the tragic train accident in Balasore (Odisha) to provide immediate financial relief to families. General Insurance Council chairman Tapan Singhel said, "As an industry, to support the rebuilding of our community, we have created a dedicated helpline and digital capabilities so that it is easier for customers or their family members to reach insurers". Insurers have allocated specialised teams to expedite such claims and ensure a seamless claim process for policyholders, Singhel, who is also managing director of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, said. "We are reaching out to our customers in the affected region proactively to ensure they are safe and in case of a requirement then that their claims are also being prioritised. Insurance companies have also deployed their resources on-sight for immediate resolution and assistance," he said. SBI Life has taken steps to ease

Railways spent over Rs 1 trn of RRSK funds on safety in 5 years: Report

The Railways has announced a high-level probe as well as an independent inquiry by the Commissioner of Rail Safety, which comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation

Train accident: Railways releases links with details of affected people

To help families locate their kin affected by the triple train accident in Balasore, the railways, in coordination with the Odisha government, has prepared three online links with photos of those killed and lists of passengers admitted to different hospitals. "In order to facilitate the families of those who are still unaware about whereabouts of their relatives in the triple train accident in Bahanaga, Odisha, Indian Railways with the support of Odisha government has taken an initiative to locate them. "The family members/relatives/friends and well-wishers of the passengers affected in this unfortunate accident can locate using the link of photos of deceased, lists of passengers admitted in different hospitals and also about unidentified bodies using these following detail," the railways said in a statement. The railways has appealed to people to use the three links -- link of photos of the deceased ( https:rcodisha.nic.in/Photos%20Of%20Deceased%20with%20Disclaimer.pdf ), link of .

A casual attitude to safety

The tragic train accident in Odisha highlights India's neglect of safety and quality in infrastructure

Off track at Balasore

A CBI probe is puzzling

Initial finding entail inquiry by professional agency: Sources on CBI probe

Amid Opposition criticism of a CBI probe into the Balasore train accident, government sources on Monday said there was "deliberate interference" in the system and that information unearthed during the initial investigation necessitated a probe by a professional agency. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Friday night's horrifying accident which left 275 people dead and 1,100 injured. Reacting to questions on the need for a CBI probe when the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) was already probing the incident, an official indicated that the preliminary inquiry revealed the need for a more thorough investigation. "Lot of information has come during the course of the investigation. Various kinds of information have been made available which required a professional investigative agency," he said. The accident in which a speeding Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train on the loop line instead of ...

Odisha rail crash: NCP accuses Centre of ignoring CAG report, Kavach funds

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto and chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase raised various issues pertaining to these while reiterating the party's stance seeking the resignation of Ashwini Vaishnaw

Reliance Foundation to give jobs to train accident affected families

Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of India's most valuable company Reliance Industries Ltd, on Monday, announced a slew of relief measures, including a free ration for six months and jobs for those affected by the country's deadliest train crash in decades. The foundation will free fuel for ambulances dealing with the disaster through the Jio-BP network as well as free medicines for injured and medical treatment for those needing hospitalisation. "Provision of free ration supplies, including flour, sugar, dal, rice, salt and cooking oil, for the next six months to affected families through Reliance stores" will be made, it said in a statement. The deadliest train accident in nearly three decades left 275 dead and hundreds injured. "While we cannot undo the suffering caused by the tragedy, we are fully committed to helping the bereaved families rebuild their lives and prepare for the future. With this as our solemn mission, we are announcing a 10-point programme to offer ou