Odisha train tragedy: CM Patnaik announces Rs 5 Lakh ex-gratia to families

As many as 100 bodies of passengers, who died in the tragic train accident in Odisha's Balasore district, were brought to the AIIMS Bhubaneswar Sunday morning.

The bodies were brought in 50 ambulances from Balsore and stored in the mortuary of the AIIMS, an official said.

The Odisha government had decided to bring about 160 dead bodies to Bhubaneswar and those will be preserved in mortuaries of different government and private hospitals.

Train communication has been snapped to Bhadrak and Balasore due to the accident. So, the family members can visit Bhubaneswar smoothly to find the bodies of loved ones, Chief Secretary P.K Jena said.

"The unidentified bodies will be preserved for 42 hours. If no one will claim the bodies, we can dispose of those as per medical procedures," Jena stated.

According to official sources, about 55 bodies have been identified and those were handed over to the family members after autopsy.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the victims of the Bahanaga train tragedy. The assistance will be given from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF).

He also announced Rs 1 lakh assistance for those who sustained serious injuries in the mishap.

The Chief minister has also conveyed his deep sympathy to the bereaved families and wishes speedy recovery of the injured.

At least 288 people died and over 1,100 were left injured after Chennai-bound Coromandel Express and Howrah bound SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express were involved in a major accident near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha's Balasore on Friday evening.

A total of 1,175 patients have been admitted to different hospitals of Odisha, of which 793 patients have been discharged. At least 382 patients are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals, of which only two passengers are in critical condition, the source said.

--IANS

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