Condoling the death of more than 260 people after the train accident in Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 3 said that the government will leave no stone unturned for the treatment of those injured.
Odisha train accident live updates
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 3 inspected the triple train accident site at Bahanaga in Odisha’s Balasore district to take stock of relief and restoration operations and also met the victims.
Calling it a ‘serious incident’, the PM said that “instructions have been issued for a probe from every angle and those found guilty will be punished stringently.” He also added that the Railways is working towards track restoration.
At the site of the mishap, PM Modi reviewed relief works that are underway. He interacted with local authorities, personnel from the disaster relief forces and railways officials. He also emphasised on the ‘Whole of Government’ approach to mitigate this monumental tragedy.
He was accompanied by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and was briefed on the situation by both Mr. Vaishnaw as well as officers of the disaster management team which worked overnight to rescue people at the disaster site where at least 261 people have died and 900 more injured.
He also interacted with Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallik as well as the local police chief.
Mr. Modi also inquired about the progress of restoration work launched at the mishap site to bring train services back to normal.
The Prime Minister spoke to the Cabinet Secretary and the Health Minister on the site. He asked them to ensure all needed help is provided to the injured and their families. He also said that special care must be taken to ensure that the bereaved families don’t face inconvenience and those affected keep getting assistance they require.
Before reaching the accident site at Bahanaga Bazar, the PM had chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi on the train accident.
"PM Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to take stock of the situation in the wake of the train mishap in Odisha. Aspects relating to rescue, relief and medical attention to those affected were discussed in the review meeting," his office tweeted.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at the meeting called by the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Modi had on June 2 announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.
According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the ex-gratia amount will be allotted from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the dead.
(with inputs from agencies)
