‘Truth needs to be uncovered’: Mamata Banerjee and Ashwini Vaishnaw clash over Odisha train crash death toll
At the time, the official death toll according to Indian Railways was reported as 288
- Jun 3, 2023,
- Updated Jun 3, 2023 9:11 PM IST
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed deep concern and called for a thorough investigation into the triple train accident that occurred in Odisha's Balasore district, labelling it as the "biggest of the century." During her visit to the site, Banerjee shared in an interview that she had received information about the death of over 500 passengers. In contrast, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was present alongside her, stated that the death toll was at 238. At the time, the official death toll according to Indian Railways was reported as 288.
Having served as the Railway Minister twice before, Banerjee argued that the collision could have been prevented if the anti-collision system had been operational on that route. She further alleged that the safety and security of passengers were being disregarded by the Railways.
Banerjee emphasised the need for a comprehensive investigation into the incident, stating, "There must be something behind this and a proper investigation is needed. The truth must come out. Had there been an anti-collision system, the accident would not have happened. No one cares about the safety and security of passengers." She highlighted her own initiative as the former Railways minister, wherein the introduction of the anti-collision system had significantly reduced the number of accidents.
On Saturday afternoon, the Chief Minister of West Bengal arrived at the accident site and engaged in discussions with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other senior officials who were already present there.
Banerjee revealed that a majority of the passengers affected by the accident were from West Bengal, with a few individuals from Kerala, Bengaluru, and Odisha also among the victims. She emphasized the significance of the Coromandel Express, one of the country's finest trains, and regarded this accident as the most severe railway mishap of the century. She referred to a major train accident in Bihar in 1985 and an incident organized by Maoists during her tenure as the Railways minister, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation and expressing disappointment at the lack of conclusive outcomes in such cases.
To support the affected families, Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of West Bengal passengers who lost their lives, Rs 1 lakh for those critically injured, and Rs 50,000 for individuals with minor injuries. She also extended her government's full assistance to the Railways and the Odisha government, highlighting the dispatch of 70 ambulances and 40 doctors and nurses to aid the injured.
The Railways announced its own compensation measures, offering an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh to those severely injured, and Rs 50,000 to individuals with minor injuries.
Banerjee mentioned that buses had been arranged to transport individuals with minor injuries back to Bengal. She added, "Some buses have already brought people with minor injuries back to Bengal. I will request the Railways to send the seriously injured back to Bengal for better treatment."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also declared additional ex gratia from the PM's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), providing Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
The train crash, ranking as the fourth deadliest in India based on available records, occurred near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, approximately 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, at around 7 pm on Friday. Following the incident, the Railway Ministry promptly ordered an investigation into the matter.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed deep concern and called for a thorough investigation into the triple train accident that occurred in Odisha's Balasore district, labelling it as the "biggest of the century." During her visit to the site, Banerjee shared in an interview that she had received information about the death of over 500 passengers. In contrast, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was present alongside her, stated that the death toll was at 238. At the time, the official death toll according to Indian Railways was reported as 288.
Having served as the Railway Minister twice before, Banerjee argued that the collision could have been prevented if the anti-collision system had been operational on that route. She further alleged that the safety and security of passengers were being disregarded by the Railways.
Banerjee emphasised the need for a comprehensive investigation into the incident, stating, "There must be something behind this and a proper investigation is needed. The truth must come out. Had there been an anti-collision system, the accident would not have happened. No one cares about the safety and security of passengers." She highlighted her own initiative as the former Railways minister, wherein the introduction of the anti-collision system had significantly reduced the number of accidents.
On Saturday afternoon, the Chief Minister of West Bengal arrived at the accident site and engaged in discussions with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other senior officials who were already present there.
Banerjee revealed that a majority of the passengers affected by the accident were from West Bengal, with a few individuals from Kerala, Bengaluru, and Odisha also among the victims. She emphasized the significance of the Coromandel Express, one of the country's finest trains, and regarded this accident as the most severe railway mishap of the century. She referred to a major train accident in Bihar in 1985 and an incident organized by Maoists during her tenure as the Railways minister, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation and expressing disappointment at the lack of conclusive outcomes in such cases.
To support the affected families, Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of West Bengal passengers who lost their lives, Rs 1 lakh for those critically injured, and Rs 50,000 for individuals with minor injuries. She also extended her government's full assistance to the Railways and the Odisha government, highlighting the dispatch of 70 ambulances and 40 doctors and nurses to aid the injured.
The Railways announced its own compensation measures, offering an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh to those severely injured, and Rs 50,000 to individuals with minor injuries.
Banerjee mentioned that buses had been arranged to transport individuals with minor injuries back to Bengal. She added, "Some buses have already brought people with minor injuries back to Bengal. I will request the Railways to send the seriously injured back to Bengal for better treatment."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also declared additional ex gratia from the PM's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), providing Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
The train crash, ranking as the fourth deadliest in India based on available records, occurred near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, approximately 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, at around 7 pm on Friday. Following the incident, the Railway Ministry promptly ordered an investigation into the matter.