Tamil Nadu ministers leave for Odisha to meet train accident victims

Bhubaneswar: Three ministers of Tamil Nadu left for Odisha’s Balsore district where a collision between two trains left at least 238 passengers dead last evening.

Media reports said that Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu Transport Minister S.S.Sivasankar, and Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi reached the Chennai airport to travel to visit Odisha to meet train accident victims.

According to Ministry of Railways, Shalimar-Chennai Coromandal Express (12841) and Sir M Visvesvaraya-Howrah Superfast Express got derailed near Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station in Balasore district at around 6.55 pm on June 2 killing 238 people and injuring over 650 passengers.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation. He announced Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia for the deceased persons and Rs 2 lakh each for the passengers, who have sustained grievous injuries in the tragic train mishap.

The Indian railway will provide Rs 50,000 as compensation to the people who have sustained minor injuries in the train mishap.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister rushed to the accident site to take stock of situation following the mishap. He also paid visit to several hospitals in Balasore where the victims are under treatment. He declared one-day state mourning in view of tragic train accident.