Balasore train tragedy death toll rises to 290

According to the officials, Prakash Ram, hailing from Pathra village in Bihar’s Gopalganj district, was travelling back home on the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express when the general coach he was in derailed and fell into a ditch after being hit by the derailed bogies of the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express.

Updated on: Jun 16, 2023, 23:39:53 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A 22-year-old migrant labourer from Bihar, gravely injured in the train tragedy on June 2 in Odisha’s Balasore district, succumbed to his injuries on Friday, bringing the death toll to 290, officials close to the developments said.

A 22-year-old migrant labourer from Bihar, injured in the train tragedy on June 2 in Odisha’s Balasore, succumbed to his injuries (REUTERS)

According to the officials, Prakash Ram, hailing from Pathra village in Bihar’s Gopalganj district, was travelling back home on the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express when the general coach he was in derailed and fell into a ditch after being hit by the derailed bogies of the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express.

Ram regained consciousness in the Balasore district headquarters hospital and was transferred to the surgery ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, officials added. The doctors had amputated his left leg below the knee and operated on his left arm with multiple fractures, the officials said.

On Friday morning, Ram began experiencing vomiting and subsequently passed away. Expressing grief, his mother, Pramila Devi, said, “My husband is mentally unsound. My son was the only earning member of my family. I don’t know how we would survive.”

Ram was employed at a ceramic tile factory in Ongole city of Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh for the past two years.

Over 900 people were officially reported injured in the train tragedy, with more than 100 still receiving treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and a few private hospitals in Bhubaneswar.

Meanwhile, the identities of 81 bodies preserved at AIIMS Bhubaneswar are yet to be determined as claimants await the results of DNA tests. To date, DNA samples have been collected from 78 families.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.