An NDRF Jawan named Venktesan NK, who was onboard the Coromandel Express when it derailed in Odisha, was among the first to alert his force about the tragic accident. Speaking to ANI, Venktesan NK said that he alerted his team soon after the accident and informed the Odisha NDRF team. Within an hour, an NDRF team arrived at the scene, where nearby civilians helped them with food, water, and first aid.
The accident happened around 6:50pm, and Venktesan NK heard a loud noise inside the train. He calmed the people in the train and managed to make them understand that something had happened. After the train stopped, Venktesan got down to see the extent of the accident.
Meanwhile, the Railway Board Chairman, AK Lahoti, briefed top officials in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) about the ongoing investigation on the ground, including the horrific railway accident that killed over 270 people and left over 1,000 injured.
The government has sent a request to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the matter and rule out any deliberate interference. The railway ministry has also launched an inquiry into the accident.
The Balasore train accident occurred on June 2 around 7 pm near the Bahanaga Bazar area and caused significant damage. About 151 of the 275 bodies have been identified as of Monday morning, according to the Odisha state government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the accident site and the hospital where the injured were being treated. Before leaving Delhi for the accident site, PM Modi chaired a high-level review meeting on the same.
