Odisha train tragedy: Death toll rises to 290 after one more victim dies

According to official data, over 900 people were injured in the train tragedy of which more than 100 are still being treated at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and a few private hospitals in Bhubaneswar

Updated on: Jun 16, 2023, 15:08:47 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A 22-year-old migrant labourer from Bihar’s Gopalganj district, who was grievously injured in the June 2 train tragedy at Bahanaga Bazar station of Odisha’s Balasore district, passed away on Friday taking the death toll to 290.

India’s deadliest rail crash on June 2 in over two decades has left 290 people dead (Reuters Photo)

The deceased identified as Prakash Ram, a migrant labourer from Pathra village, was grievously injured while travelling in the general coach of the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express which derailed and fell in the ditch after being hit by the derailed bogies of Chennai-bound Coromandel Express on June 2 evening.

Ram was admitted to a district headquarters hospital in Balasore and later shifted to the surgery ward of Srirama Chandra Bhanja (SCB) Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where doctors amputated his left leg below the knee and operated on his left arm which had multiple fractures.

Also Read: Days after Odisha train crash, many wait for DNA tests to get bodies of kin

HT had reported on Ram and other injured migrant labourers in the two passenger trains last week.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ram’s mother Pramila Devi said that his son started vomiting and then passed away. “My son was the only earning member of the family as his father is not mentally sound. I don’t know how we will survive,” she said.

Officials said that Ram’s body would be handed over to his family after post-mortem.

According to official data, over 900 people were injured in the train tragedy of which more than 100 are still being treated at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and a few private hospitals in Bhubaneswar.

The identities of 81 bodies preserved at Bhubaneswar’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences are yet to be ascertained. The claimants are waiting for DNA test reports.

India’s deadliest rail crash on June 2 in over two decades has left 290 people dead. Officials said 208 bodies have been identified since June 2, but with multiple claims over some bodies, the state government decided on DNA sampling. A total of 78 families have given DNA samples.

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

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