PM Modi chairs high-level meeting & visits Odisha after train mishap

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office tweeted and informed citizens that PM Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday after the train accident in Odisha. Further, the tweet said that various aspects related to rescue, relief, and medical attention to those affected were discussed in the review meeting.

PM to visit the accident site

In another tweet, PMO tweeted that recognising the gravity of the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to personally visit Odisha to oversee the ongoing rescue and relief operations.

How did the accident happen?

In a tragic incident in Odisha, two passenger trains and a goods train collided, resulting in the loss of over 250 lives and leaving nearly 900 individuals injured. The horrific accident, which occurred on Friday evening, has sent shockwaves across the nation. Railways spokesperson Amitabh Sharma confirmed that the rescue operation at the site of the accident has been completed, and efforts to restore normalcy have commenced. The collision took place around 7 pm when the Howrah Superfast Express, travelling from Bengaluru to Howrah, derailed and collided with the Coromandel Express, which runs between Kolkata and Chennai, according to railway officials.

The impact of the collision was so severe that one train rammed forcefully into the other, causing carriages to be lifted into the air and twisted before crashing off the tracks. Shockingly, a carriage was even thrown onto its roof, resulting in the crushing of the passenger section.

Compensation

The Ministry of Railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh for those seriously injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed his condolences and declared compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

Disruption of train services

The impact of the accident has had significant repercussions on train services in the region. As a result, 48 trains have been cancelled, 39 trains have been diverted, and 10 trains have been short-terminated after the accident. The incident occurred on the Howrah-Chennai main line in the Kharagpur division of the South-Eastern Railway.

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