Anti-collision device would have averted ‘biggest mishap of century’, says Ma-

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By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district was the “biggest of the century” and a proper investigation was needed to unravel the truth.

Dubbing the Coromandel Superfast Express mishap in Balasore the ‘biggest’ such incident in the 21st century, Mamata flagged the lack of an ‘anti-collision device’ on the train while visiting the accident spot with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday.

“This is the biggest train accident of this century and a proper investigation must be conducted,” Banerjee told reporters.

Banerjee, who has been the Railway minister twice, said the crash could have been averted had the anti-collision system been operational on this route.

The Bengal CM also alleged that the railway is the most neglected subject. “They don’t care about passenger safety. It seems, there was a communication gap within the systems of the railways,” she said standing beside Vaishnaw.

“I had introduced the anti-collision system when I was the Railways minister and it had brought down the number of accidents,” she said.

She claimed most of the passengers “were from Bengal barring a few from Kerala, Bengaluru and Odisha”.

Vaishnaw, however, said the reason behind the mishap could be ascertained only after a thorough investigation.

“Since the train originates from Bengal, many people, right from migrant workers to patients heading towards the south for treatment, prefer Coromandel Express to travel. We took all measures and help the passengers from Bengal in distress,” said an officer of the state administration.

The Eastern Railway authorities set up medical camps at Howrah station because injured commuters were being transported from Balasore in special trains.

Biggest incident in 21st century, says Mamata Banerjee at train accident site in Odisha’s BalasoreRead @ANI Story | https://t.co/01atyUYzbe#MamataBanerjee #Odisha #OdishaTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/zJDJMBlPmW
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) June 3, 2023
“Coromandel Express is one of the best trains in the country. This is the biggest railway accident of the century. In 1985, there was a massive train accident in Bihar. When I was the Railways minister, the Maoists had ‘organised’ an accident, the probe of which was given to the CID. Unfortunately, there is no outcome even today,” she said.

Banerjee announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to families of West Bengal passengers killed in the accident, Rs 1 lakh to critically injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor injuries.

ALSO READ | Railways launches high-level probe, says anti-train collision system wasn’t available on route

She also offered her government’s full assistance to the Railways and the Odisha government.

“We have already sent 70 ambulances, 40 doctors and nurses to help the injured,” she said.

ALSO READ | Rescuers try to raise buried coach at Odisha triple rail crash site as death toll rises to 238

“Some buses have already brought people with minor injuries back to Bengal. I will request the Railways to send the seriously injured back to Bengal for better treatment,” she said.

Mamata’s nephew and Trinamool Congress’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee demanded the resignation of the Union Railway Minister.

“The incident is a fall out of gross negligence on the part of railways. Anti-collision device was introduced more than a decade ago but was not implemented. BJP’s central leaders and Union government ministers travel by flight. They never travel by train. So, they do not realise the importance of the issue of safety of passengers travelling in trains,” he alleged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced an additional ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

The train crash, the fourth deadliest in India according to available records, happened near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, around 7 pm on Friday, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe.

(With inputs from PTI)

“This is the biggest train accident of this century and a proper investigation must be conducted,” Banerjee told reporters.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

Banerjee, who has been the Railway minister twice, said the crash could have been averted had the anti-collision system been operational on this route.

“I had introduced the anti-collision system when I was the Railways minister and it had brought down the number of accidents,” she said.

She claimed most of the passengers “were from Bengal barring a few from Kerala, Bengaluru and Odisha”.

Vaishnaw, however, said the reason behind the mishap could be ascertained only after a thorough investigation.

The Eastern Railway authorities set up medical camps at Howrah station because injured commuters were being transported from Balasore in special trains.

Biggest incident in 21st century, says Mamata Banerjee at train accident site in Odisha’s Balasore
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/01atyUYzbe#MamataBanerjee #Odisha #OdishaTrainAccident pic.twitter.com/zJDJMBlPmW
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) June 3, 2023
“Coromandel Express is one of the best trains in the country. This is the biggest railway accident of the century. In 1985, there was a massive train accident in Bihar. When I was the Railways minister, the Maoists had ‘organised’ an accident, the probe of which was given to the CID. Unfortunately, there is no outcome even today,” she said.