Bhubaneswar: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today informed that a high-level committee was set up on Friday night to enquire into one of India’s deadliest rail accidents which took place at Bahanaga Bazar railway station last evening.
“A high-level committee has been formed to enquire into the accident. Commissioner of Rail Safety will also conduct and independent enquiry to establish the root cause of the tragic incident,” said Vaishnaw, who arrived at the accident site at 7:30 am today morning.
Speaking to reporters after reviewing the site, Vaishnaw said, “The entire focus of all stakeholders is on rescue at the moment. We have prioritised hospitalisation and best treatment for the injured, and handing over the bodies of the deceased to their family members.”
“It is a very tragic accident. My prayers are with the departed souls and the bereaved families,” added Vaishnaw.
The Railways, NDRF, SDRF, State Government and several other agencies are engrossed in relief and rescue operations. In case of such huge tragedies, all efforts fall short to meet what is needed, he said.
Teams from the railways have been mobilised from Bhubaneswar, Balasore and Tatanagar to the accident site. Best possible treatment will be provided to the injured persons at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, AIIMS, and Kolkata, the Railway Minister added.
“When a tragedy of this magnitude has occurred, compassion and humanity should be demonstrated. I would only say that our focus remains on rescue operations and restoration,” said Vaishnaw, responding to queries over the opposition’s demand of his resignation.
The restoration of railway operations is also critical, he said, adding that heavy machinery and equipment are stationed at Soro. Once the district administration gives a clearance, restoration efforts will begin.
The country witnessed one of the scariest-ever rail tragedies in Odisha’s Balasore, which led to the death of more than 233 people, leaving more than 900 injured. Many among them are serious, and unfortunately, the death toll is expected to surge.
The train crash 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. At least five coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, on the way to Howrah, derailed and fell on adjacent tracks.
These derailed coaches collided with the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and its coaches capsized too, a railway official informed. A goods train was also involved in the mishap as some of the coaches of the Coromandel Express, hit its wagons after getting derailed, he added.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will be flying to the spot today morning to take stock of the rescue and relief operations. A massive rescue operation is underway at the accident site in Bahanaga Bazar to retrieve people trapped in the derailed mangled coaches and rush them to hospitals.
