BALASORE: At least 238 passengers were feared dead and more than 900 were seriously injured in a major rail accident involving two express trains in Balasore district of Odisha on June 2 evening.
Condolences and help have been pouring in from the neighbours state over the tragic rail accident which is being described as one of the worst in recent times.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit the train accident site in Balasore in neighbouring Odisha on Saturday, a senior official said.
Banerjee, the official said, had a conversation with her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik over the telephone in connection with the accident on Friday night.
The Bengal CM monitored the situation almost the entire night from her Kalighat residence and expressed her shock over the tragic incident where three trains derailed one on top of another in a horrific sequence, killing at least 233 people and injuring more than 900 in Odisha's Balasore district.
The Bengal CM has assured all sorts of assistance to the Odisha government in dealing with rescue work, and treatment of those injured.
A team comprising West Bengal minister Manas Bhuniya, Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen and a few officials have already reached the train accident site late Friday night.
The West Bengal government has opened an emergency control room and activated two numbers 033- 22143526/ 22535185 from Friday night.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet, expressed grief over the accident along with President Droupadi Murmu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
“Deeply anguished to know about the loss of lives in an unfortunate rail accident in Balasore. My heart goes out to the bereaved families. I pray for the success of rescue operations and quick recovery of the injured,” President Droupadi Murmu tweeted.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday night deputed a team from the State led by Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar to Odisha to aid Tamils affected in the train accident.
The Tamil Nadu government also announced helpline numbers of the State Emergency Operation Centre in Chennai - 1070 (toll-free), 94458 69843, 94458 69848 (WhatsApp) and 044 2859 3990 (landline).
Mr Stalin spoke to Mr Patnaik and expressed shock and condolences. He further assured all necessary assistance to those affected in the accident. He also assured to send a medical team to Odisha, if necessary, an official release said.
Three IAS officers K. Phanindra Reddy (Transport Secretary), Kumar Jayant (Disaster Management Secretary) and Archana Pattnaik (Chairperson of Teachers Recruitment Board) would accompany the Minister to Odisha.
Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi said: “Extremely distressed by the accident of Chennai-bound Coromandel Express in Odisha. My heart goes to the families who lost their dear ones. May the injured recover fast. All out rescue and relief operations are going on”.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones in the train accident.
BSP chief Mayawati on Saturday expressed sorrow at the loss of live in the train accident in Odisha and sought a time-bound high-level inquiry into the cause.
Three trains derailed one on top of another in a horrific sequence, killing at least 238 people and injuring more than 900 in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday.
In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati expressed sadness at the loss of lives and hoped that the victims' kin would find the strength to overcome the sorrow.
"The Centre should take this horrific accident very seriously and conduct an immediate, high-level, time-bound inquiry into it and provide appropriate financial assistance to the families of all the deceased and arrange better treatment for the injured persons.
This is the demand of the BSP," she said in another tweet.
Telangana State Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao expressed grief over the unfortunate incident.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday expressed grief over the death of 238 people in a train accident in Odisha's Balasore district.
He wished the speedy recovery of those injured in the accident that occurred on Friday evening.
Deeply pained by the heartbreaking Coromandel Express train accident near Bahanaga railway station in the Balasore district of Odisha.
May God give peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family members to bear these difficult hours of grief.
I wish speedy recovery of those injured in the accident, Soren wrote on Twitter.