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- Ashwini Vaishnav | Odisha Coromandel Train Accident Rescue Operation ( Balasore Train Tragedy)
Bhubaneswar10 minutes ago
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On the evening of June 2, a horrific train accident took place in Balasore, Odisha. It was the biggest train accident of this century and the third biggest in the country. The pictures are such that anyone’s heart can sit on seeing them. Train coaches and piles of dead bodies strewn on the railway tracks.
The crisis before the railways was to evacuate the dead and injured from the scene and repair the track. But, within 51 hours of the accident, the rescue teams and the railway department got success in this. When the train passed through this route after 51 hours, the Railway Minister thanked God with folded hands.
Rescue and restoration work went according to plan
A senior official told that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav works on the basis of plan. The same happened even now. Our aim was to save as many people as possible and provide treatment to the injured.
After the rescue, our aim was to clear the rail line so that the movement of trains could start. For this, we prepared such a plan in which maximum use of human resources can be made.
8 teams were formed for ground work, 70 people in each team
A senior railway official said that 8 teams of 70 people each were formed to work at the spot. The supervision of each team was assigned to a senior section engineer. The supervision of these Senior Section Engineers was entrusted to the District Railway Manager and General Manager. They were supervised by the member of the Railway Board.
Senior railway officers posted in hospitals
These officials of the Ministry of Railways were present on the ground, where the repair work of the track was going on. This was only one aspect of the job. Another major task was to ensure that those who have been admitted to the hospital do not face any kind of trouble.
An official working in the ground team said that the chairman of the Railway Board was posted at the hospital in Cuttack, while the Directorate General of Health was sent to the hospital in Bhubaneswar.
He said that we were given clear instructions that it is not enough to just take the injured to the hospital, it is also necessary to see that they are comfortable in the hospital. That’s why senior officers were sent to take stock of the situation.
The entire rescue operation was monitored through live cameras.
A source said that a senior official was monitoring the live feed of all the developments happening at the spot from four cameras and was sharing all the details of the operation with the Railway Minister and his team. At the same time, this entire development was being monitored from the war room at the headquarters of the Ministry of Railways in Delhi.
Rested the ground team so that there is no burnout
A team member coordinating the ground team said that one of the challenges before the people working on the ground was how to do rescue and restoration without getting tired. For this, workers were given breaks from time to time, so that they do not get burnout.
We made sure that every team, whether working at the scene or in hospitals, was given time to rest and was kept hydrated.
Railway minister got emotional on completion of ground work
When the repair of the route affected by the accident was completed on Sunday night and the train started running here, the team heaved a sigh of relief. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav remained on the field for the entire 51 hours. When the train started on the route, he became emotional and thanked God with folded hands.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has been the collector of Balasore district in 1999. Then he did relief and rescue work during the crisis of Super Cyclone. So this was not his first experience of disaster management.