West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has cancelled her trip to North Bengal and will instead travel to Odisha on Tuesday (June 6) to meet with injured train passengers who are being treated in the neighbouring state. During a press conference, Mamata Banerjee stated that the state ministers in West Bengal have divided the work and are visiting patients in various hospitals to provide assistance.
The Chief Minister will be accompanied to Odisha by state ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya and Sashi Panja.
105 Bodies Remain Unidentified: Odisha Chief Secretary
In the aftermath of the devastating train tragedy in Odisha, Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena revealed on Monday that 105 bodies remain unidentified. The District Magistrate has been instructed to provide a comprehensive figure. The number of injured individuals has exceeded 1200, with over 950 already discharged from hospitals. As of the latest update, 170 bodies have been identified. To aid in identification efforts and offer support, two toll-free numbers (18003450061 and 1929) have been established.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has taken charge of the situation, directing the government to assume complete responsibility for identifying and removing the bodies. Measures are being implemented to alleviate the challenges faced by the Chief Minister’s office.
In a positive development, the railway line has been restored, enabling the resumption of train services along the affected route. This step aims to facilitate transportation and restore normalcy in the region.
Meanwhile, the political friction between the opposition and the government persists, focusing on a recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). Both sides are engaging in a war of words, presenting allegations and defenses to support their respective positions.
READ | Odisha Train Tragedy: Railways Orders Nationwide Safety Drive On Signalling Systems, Says Report
NDRF Concludes Operation, Withdraws All 9 Teams:
The National Disaster Response Force ended its rescue operation on Monday by withdrawing all nine of its teams from the site of a triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district, which claimed at least 275 lives. Since the teams were deployed after the accident on June 2, they have rescued 44 people and recovered 121 bodies.
The operation has concluded, and all nine teams have been withdrawn, as there are no live or dead victims at the accident site near the Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station. They said that eight teams were relieved on Sunday and one was drawn out on Monday.
On Friday, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express took the wrong track and collided with a stationary goods train. Its coaches were scattered all over the place, including on an adjacent track, and another passenger train, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, rammed into them and derailed.