CHENNAI: The state government on Saturday night said no Tamilian has been identified among the dead or injured in the train accident till now.
Chief Minister MK Stalin has directed the Tamil Nadu team led by ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin and SS Sivasankar to stay in Odisha for a few more days until passengers bound for Tamil Nadu are brought back.
“Out of the 288 persons who died, only 100 bodies could be identified so far. But, no Tamilian has been found among the bodies identified. No Tamilian is in either Balasore or Cuttack hospital,” a senior official camping in Odisha to assist Tamils told TNIE.
In Bhubaneswar, the Tamil Nadu team took stock of the situation and visited those being treated at the hospital. Later, the team called on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and held discussions with him. Patnaik said all possible care has been extended for treating the injured, and also the kin of the injured and the deceased. Udhayanidhi appreciated the Odisha administration and thanked Patnaik for the rescue operations.
Stalin held a detailed discussion with the state team in Odisha through video conference. The team told him that it was collecting information regarding those admitted to SVP Hospital in Cuttack and so far no one from Tamil Nadu is being treated there. Bodies have been kept in four places and the identification process is underway. As per the reservation chart of the railways, information regarding passengers is being cross-checked with their relatives.
Three medical college hospitals in Chennai have been kept ready for providing treatment to passengers, if any, are brought from Odisha. Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu, Finance Secretary T Udhayachandran, Transport Secretary K Phanindra Reddy, and Revenue Secretary Kumar Jayant, took part in the discussions.