New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the teams of railways, NDRF, local authorities, police, fire service, volunteers and others who have been working on the rescue operations after the devastating train accident in Odisha, that killed 288 people and injured over 900 others.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote, “I commend each and every person belonging to the teams of railways, NDRF, ODRAF, local authorities, police, fire service, volunteers and others who are working tirelessly on the ground and strengthening the rescue ops. Proud of their dedication.”
I commend each and every person belonging to the teams of railways, NDRF, ODRAF, local authorities, police, fire service, volunteers and others who are working tirelessly on the ground and strengthening the rescue ops. Proud of their dedication.
Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 3, 2023
Meanwhile, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said passengers have reached their homes after taking the compensation amount and the main objective of the government is to restore normal operations of trains by Wednesday.
“Large number of passengers (who were travelling in the accident-hit trains) have already reached their homes after taking the compensation amount. Our objective is that trains can start operating in a normal way latest by Wednesday morning,” news agency PTI quoted Vaishnaw as saying.
A total of 288 bodies have been recovered and around 800 injured passengers are currently undergoing treatment at different hospitals as rescue operations are expected to conclude in the next few hours, Odisha chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said.
“The rescue operation is almost complete. The operation of the last bogie has started. So far, the death toll has been around 288. The injured are undergoing treatment,” news agency ANI quoted Jena as saying.
The train crash, considered to be the fourth deadliest in India happened near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited Odisha’s Balasore where the triple train accident occurred and took stock of the situation. He also visited a hospital and met with the injured victims. The PM said those found guilty in the matter will be punished stringently.