Odisha CM announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to family members of those from state killed in train accident

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the family members of the people from the state killed in the triple train accident at Bahanga Bazar near Balasore.

The assistance will be given from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

The next of kin of the deceased from the state will get an assistance of Rs 5 lakh and those who sustained serious injuries will get Rs 1 lakh as assistance, a statement issued by the CMO said.

The ex-gratia assistance is applicable to the people of Odisha only, it said Patnaik who undertook a on-the-spot inspection of the tragedy on Saturday, has also conveyed his deep sympathy to the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery of the injured persons.

Earlier Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh and the Prime Minister’s Office declared Rs 2 lakh for the families which lost their near and dear ones in the tragedy.

According to the preliminary report of the Railways, the Coromandel Express entered the loop line and crashed into a goods train parked there instead of the main line, near Bahanaga Bazar railway station.

The triple train accident has left at least 288 people dead and over 1,100 injured.

The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train occurred on Friday near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar.