Odisha train tragedy: Bihar toll rises to 21 as 13 more die

Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, secretary, disaster management, said that so far 66 passengers have been brought to Bihar from the place of accident by two buses.

BETTIAH: The number of people from Bihar who lost their lives in the Odisha train tragedy jumped to 21 with the death of 13 more people on Monday, officials said, adding that at least 40 from the state are still missing.

Passengers wait for trains at Patna Junction on Saturday after several trains got cancelled following the Balasore train accident. (HT Photo)

Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, secretary, disaster management, said that most of the deceased were daily wage workers.

“So far, 66 passengers have been brought to Bihar from the place of accident by two buses,” Agarwal said.

According to the disaster management control room in Patna, those who died, include five people from Madhubani district, three from East Champaran, two from Purnia, two from West Champaran, one each from Nawada, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, and Bhagalpur respectively. The district-wise break-up of five victims could not be known immediately.

Meanwhile, a pall of gloom has descended on family members and friends from Bihar whose kin are still missing or are critical after the tragedy in Balasore on Friday, which as per official data, has claimed 275 lives till now while over 1,000 passengers were injured.

A resident of Laukariya village in East Champaran, Subhash Sahni’s hope of finding his younger brother Raja Kumar Sahni is fading with each passing hour.

“All my effort to trace him have turned futile. Surprisingly, his mobile which was switched off for the first two days suddenly was switched on. But, it’s going unresponded,” said Sahni.

Admitted at a government hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack, the condition of Vijay Paswan, a resident of East Champaran is said to be critical after he suffered multiple fractures in the accident. “We are totally clueless about where to go. His chances of survival is getting slim as per doctors,” said Deepak Paswan , a co-labourer, who escaped with minor injuries.