Almost 300 dead in worst train disaster in 24 years
As of now it is the fourth worst train disaster in Indian railway history but is most likely to become the third worst. At last count, the number of deaths in the collision of three trains last evening in the Balasore district of Odisha due to a signalling failure has climbed to 280-plus but is most likely to cross 290, the approximate figure for the Gaisal train disaster of 1999.
Over 900 are injured in the massive mishap that occurred as a result of the collision of the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has assured of a detailed high-level enquiry of the mishap. The Union government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each of the families of the dead, Rs 2 lakh each for the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for the other injured.
Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of Bengal, from which state many of the passengers hailed, visited the site today afternoon and announced compensations of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
