70 Dead, More Fear Trapped As Rescue Ops Continue Overnight — Top Points

No less than 70 folks have been reported lifeless whereas over 350 have been injured after Shalimar-Chennai Coronamndel Specific derailed close to the Bahanaga Station in Odisha’s Balasore on Friday evening. As per preliminary experiences, the high-speed practice was in movement alongside the first observe. Following the accident, it collided with a stationary freight practice positioned on the facet observe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced an ex gratia of Rupees 2 lakh to the kin of deceased and Rupees 50,000 to the injured from the PM Nationwide Reduction Fund. 

No less than 10 to 12 coaches of the high-speed practice derailed and encroached on to the other observe, which led to the derailment of 3-4 coaches of practice travelling from Yeshwanthpur to Howrah, mentioned Railway spokersperson Amitabh Sharma.  

Listed here are different high developments: 

• Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw rushed to the state and introduced an ex gratia of Rupees 10 lakh to the kin of deceased, Rupees 2 lakh to greviously inujured and Rs 50,000 to folks with minor accidents.  
• Odisha Chief Minister, whereas speaking to reporters, mentioned that he would go to the spot on Saturday and take inventory of the state of affairs.
• Union well being minister Mansukh Mandaviya expressed his grief and instructed All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubhaneshwar to offer all doable assist to the folks injured within the accident  with preparations for emergency, ICU and OT beds, all docs, nurses and workers. 
• Union Schooling Minister and BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradehsh, Dharmendra Pradhan, who belongs to Odisha, on Friday evening left for Balasore.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi expressed their grief over the incident. 
• Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mentioned her authorities despatched a group to the accident website in Odisha to help in rescue and reduction efforts was coordinating with Odisha authorities and South Jap Railways “for our folks’s sake”. She additionally mentioned that she is personally monitoring the state of affairs with Chief Secretary and different senior officers.
• Within the wake of the incident, the inauguration of Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Specific scheduled to be carried out by PM Modi was cancelled. 
• Groups of Nationwide Catastrophe Response Drive had been pressed to the spot for search and rescue operations.