Odisha train accident: Over 1,000 lives saved by locals, says CM Patnaik

The death toll in the tragic accident was revised to 288 on Tuesday.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday said that over 1,000 passengers involved in the three-way tragic train collision in Odisha's Balasore district were saved by the locals. Speaking at an event, Patnaik said, “The efforts of locals have manifested the compassion and humanity of the people of Odisha.”

Rescue operations at the accident site of a three-train collision near Balasore, about 200 km (125 miles) from the state capital Bhubaneswar in Odisha(AFP)

“Doctors, medical students, the general public, all had one thing in mind - Let’s save life as many as we can. And we have saved more than a thousand lives. People providing support to rescue operations and the long queues for blood donation are sights rare but invaluable. I am proud of my people. I am proud of Odisha,” Patnaik said as quoted by the news agency PTI.

He also said that people providing support to rescue operations and the long queues for blood donation have been “sights rare but invaluable”.

Recalling the incident which claimed the lives of 288 people, the CM said, “It is a time of immense grief and sorrow.”

“…But, this accident has proved the strength of Odisha, its ability to rise to the expectation during the time of crisis,” he added.

Death toll

The death toll in the tragic accident was revised to 288 on Tuesday from the previous 275. According to officials, 205 bodies of the total toll have been identified so far and handed over to their families. However, the rest of the deceased passengers have not yet been identified and have been kept at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and other hospitals.

CBI probe

On Tuesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe and registered a case into the accident. The agency is looking at all possible reasons including human error or deliberate attempts to cause the accident, officials said.

A CBI spokesperson said, “CBI has registered a case on the request of ministry of railways, consent of the Odisha government and further orders from DoPT (department of personnel and training) relating to the train accident involving Coromandel Express, Yashwantpur-Howrah Express and a goods train at Bahanaga Bazar in the state of Odisha on June 2.”

(With inputs from PTI)