Odisha train accident: Why no anti-collision devices, asks Mamata Banerjee

BALASORE: With two popular trains - one carrying passengers from Bengal and the other bringing people to the state - involved in the ghastly train accident in Odisha, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday flew to Balasore in a chopper on Saturday afternoon and headed straight to the accident spot where she met Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Banerjee spoke at length with the railway minister and urged him to probe why anti-collision devices were not installed in Coromandel Express.
"I had introduced the anti-collision device (as Union railway minister) and since then accidents have reduced. The devices are such that trains will stop if they happen to be on the same track. Even if there are derailed coaches ahead, a train would stop. It will be activated even if the driver falls asleep. Had there been anti-collision devices on the trains, this incident would not have happened. People will never get back their lives," she said. Stating that Coromandel was among the best express trains in the country, she demanded a proper probe by the Railway Safety Commission into the incident.
She, however, refused to respond to queries on whether she suspected sabotage. "This is not the time for these questions. I will reply later. Now we should all focus on rescue and relief operations. Most of the victims are from Bengal, we are working in tandem with the Odisha government and Centre,"she said.
State compensation: Rs 5 lakh to kin of deceased, Rs 1 lakh to those critically hurt
Terming the Balasore pile-up as the “biggest train accident of the century”, CM Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh each to those grievously hurt and Rs 50,000 to passengers with minor injuries.
Banerjee flew to Balasore in a chopper and drove to the accident spot around 1pm and took stock of the rescue operation. From the accident spot, Banerjee headed straight to Soro Hospital, five kilometres away, and met the victims admitted there. As she approached the hospital, Banerjee saw a few injured people standing in a huddle near the gate. She stopped her car and asked if they were from Bengal and victims of the accident. Tapasi Sardar, a resident of Midnapore, approached her and broke down and told the CM that she wanted to go home. “You don’t have to worry. We will make arrangements for your safe return,” the CM said and asked the officials accompanying her to coordinate with the local administration.
Two buses carrying some of the victims headed for Bengal in the afternoon. The state on Saturday also rushed 110 ambulances and a team of 40 doctors to Odisha. Forty buses and 20 mini trucks also reached Balasore to bring back stranded passengers. Chief secretary H K Dwivedi held a video conference with several DMs and senior officials to coordinate the rescue operation. A round-the-clock control room has been opened in Nabanna to help the passengers of the ill-fated train.