A tragic train accident occurred in Odisha’s Balasore district, which has led to a disagreement between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the death toll. While Mamata claimed that she had received information that the death toll was going to exceed 500, Vaishnaw stated that according to the Odisha government’s data, the current death toll is at 238. However, Mamata argued that the rescue work in three coaches is still ongoing, and therefore the toll will increase further. As of now, the official figures confirm that 261 people have died and over 900 are injured.
Mamata also claimed that the accident happened due to the lack of anti-collision measures in express trains. She called for a high-level investigation into the accident. Meanwhile, the injured passengers have been hospitalized in Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak, Soro, and Cuttack SCB hospitals.
The train tragedy in Odisha has raised concerns about passenger safety and highlights the urgent need for safety measures to be implemented in trains. It is also necessary for the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the factors that caused the accident and prevent such accidents from happening in the future. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the victims and their families during this difficult time.
