Odisha observe accident: Anti-collision machine would have averted ‘best mishap of century’, says Mamata

By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday talked about the triple observe accident in Odisha’s Balasore district was the “biggest of the century” and an accurate investigation was wished to unravel the fact.

Dubbing the Coromandel Superfast Express mishap in Balasore the ‘biggest’ such incident throughout the twenty first century, Mamata flagged the scarcity of an ‘anti-collision device’ on the observe whereas visiting the accident spot with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday.

“This is the biggest train accident of this century and a proper investigation must be conducted,” Banerjee knowledgeable reporters.

Banerjee, who has been the Railway minister twice, talked about the crash could have been averted had the anti-collision system been operational on this route.

The Bengal CM moreover alleged that the railway is actually probably the most neglected matter. “They don’t care about passenger safety. It seems, there was a communication gap within the systems of the railways,” she talked about standing beside Vaishnaw.

“I had introduced the anti-collision system when I was the Railways minister and it had brought down the number of accidents,” she talked about.

She claimed plenty of the passengers “were from Bengal barring a few from Kerala, Bengaluru and Odisha”.

Vaishnaw, nonetheless, talked about the rationale behind the mishap might presumably be ascertained solely after an intensive investigation. 

“Since the train originates from Bengal, many people, right from migrant workers to patients heading towards the south for treatment, prefer Coromandel Express to travel. We took all measures and help the passengers from Bengal in distress,” talked about an officer of the state administration.

The Eastern Railway authorities prepare medical camps at Howrah station on account of injured commuters had been being transported from Balasore particularly trains.  

Biggest incident in twenty first century, says Mamata Banerjee at observe accident website online in Odisha’s Balasore

Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/01atyUYzbe#MamataBanerjee #Odisha #OdishaTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/zJDJMBlPmW

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) June 3, 2023

“Coromandel Express is one of the best trains in the country. This is the biggest railway accident of the century. In 1985, there was a massive train accident in Bihar. When I was the Railways minister, the Maoists had ‘organised’ an accident, the probe of which was given to the CID. Unfortunately, there is no outcome even today,” she talked about.

Banerjee launched Rs 5 lakh compensation to households of West Bengal passengers killed throughout the accident, Rs 1 lakh to critically injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor accidents.

ALSO READ | Railways launches high-level probe, says anti-train collision system wasn’t obtainable on route 

She moreover supplied her authorities’s full assist to the Railways and the Odisha authorities.

“We have already sent 70 ambulances, 40 doctors and nurses to help the injured,” she talked about.

ALSO READ | Rescuers try and elevate buried coach at Odisha triple rail crash website online as dying toll rises to 238

“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,” she talked about.

Mamata’s nephew and Trinamool Congress’s nationwide frequent secretary Abhishek Banerjee demanded the resignation of the Union Railway Minister.

“The incident is a fall out of gross negligence on the part of railways. Anti-collision device was introduced more than a decade ago but was not implemented. BJP’s central leaders and Union government ministers travel by flight. They never travel by train. So, they do not realise the importance of the issue of safety of passengers travelling in trains,” he alleged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moreover launched an additional ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the following of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

The observe crash, the fourth deadliest in India in line with obtainable knowledge, occurred near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, spherical 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.

(With inputs from PTI)

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday talked about the triple observe accident in Odisha’s Balasore district was the “biggest of the century” and an accurate investigation was wished to unravel the fact.

Dubbing the Coromandel Superfast Express mishap in Balasore the ‘biggest’ such incident throughout the twenty first century, Mamata flagged the scarcity of an ‘anti-collision device’ on the observe whereas visiting the accident spot with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday.

“This is the biggest train accident of this century and a proper investigation must be conducted,” Banerjee knowledgeable reporters.googletag.cmd.push(carry out() googletag.present(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Banerjee, who has been the Railway minister twice, talked about the crash could have been averted had the anti-collision system been operational on this route.

The Bengal CM moreover alleged that the railway is actually probably the most neglected matter. “They don’t care about passenger safety. It seems, there was a communication gap within the systems of the railways,” she talked about standing beside Vaishnaw.

“I had introduced the anti-collision system when I was the Railways minister and it had brought down the number of accidents,” she talked about.

She claimed plenty of the passengers “were from Bengal barring a few from Kerala, Bengaluru and Odisha”.

Vaishnaw, nonetheless, talked about the rationale behind the mishap might presumably be ascertained solely after an intensive investigation. 

“Since the train originates from Bengal, many people, right from migrant workers to patients heading towards the south for treatment, prefer Coromandel Express to travel. We took all measures and help the passengers from Bengal in distress,” talked about an officer of the state administration.

The Eastern Railway authorities prepare medical camps at Howrah station on account of injured commuters had been being transported from Balasore particularly trains.  

Biggest incident in twenty first century, says Mamata Banerjee at observe accident website online in Odisha’s Balasore
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/01atyUYzbe#MamataBanerjee #Odisha #OdishaTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/zJDJMBlPmW
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) June 3, 2023
“Coromandel Express is one of the best trains in the country. This is the biggest railway accident of the century. In 1985, there was a massive train accident in Bihar. When I was the Railways minister, the Maoists had ‘organised’ an accident, the probe of which was given to the CID. Unfortunately, there is no outcome even today,” she talked about.

Banerjee launched Rs 5 lakh compensation to households of West Bengal passengers killed throughout the accident, Rs 1 lakh to critically injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor accidents.

ALSO READ | Railways launches high-level probe, says anti-train collision system wasn’t obtainable on route 

She moreover supplied her authorities’s full assist to the Railways and the Odisha authorities.

“We have already sent 70 ambulances, 40 doctors and nurses to help the injured,” she talked about.

ALSO READ | Rescuers try and elevate buried coach at Odisha triple rail crash website online as dying toll rises to 238

“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,” she talked about.

Mamata’s nephew and Trinamool Congress’s nationwide frequent secretary Abhishek Banerjee demanded the resignation of the Union Railway Minister.

“The incident is a fall out of gross negligence on the part of railways. Anti-collision device was introduced more than a decade ago but was not implemented. BJP’s central leaders and Union government ministers travel by flight. They never travel by train. So, they do not realise the importance of the issue of safety of passengers travelling in trains,” he alleged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moreover launched an additional ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the following of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

The observe crash, the fourth deadliest in India in line with obtainable knowledge, occurred near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, spherical 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.

(With inputs from PTI)