Balasore Train Crash: CM Naveen Patnaik Reviews Rescue Operation and Treatment of Victims

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reached the Balasore District Hospital and met the injured in the train accident being treated there. Earlier, the Odisha Chief Minister also visited the incident spot and took stock of the situation.

Speaking to newsmen CM Naveen Patnaik said, “…extremely tragic train accident…I have to thank the local teams, local people & others who have worked overnight to save people from the wreckage…Railway safety should always be given the first preference…The people have been taken to hospitals in Balasore and Cuttack so that they recover as fast as possible.”

The death count in this horrific three-train accident involving two express trains – Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express – and a goods train in Balasore has risen to 238.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also reached the accident spot and ordered a detailed high-level inquiry into the mishap.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development, Dharmendra Pradhan also cut short his visit to Kolkata in West Bengal and left for Balasore.

The Odisha government has declared a day of mourning on Saturday.