'Painful': PM Modi after meeting survivors of Odisha train accident
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived at the site where the horrific three-way train crash occurred in Balasore, Odisha, to take stock of the situation. He also met the accident survivors at a hospital in Balasore and called the tragedy "painful." Earlier in the day, he chaired a high-level meeting over the incident, which took place on Friday evening.
Modi meets injured victims of train crash
Those found guilty will be punished: PM Modi
After meeting the train crash survivors, Modi reportedly said, "It's a painful incident. The government will leave no stone unturned for the treatment of those injured. It's a serious incident, and instructions have been issued for the probe from every angle." "Those found guilty will be punished stringently. The Railways Ministry is working toward track restoration," he added.
PM Modi at accident site
Nearly 300 dead in Odisha train tragedy
Modi landed near the site of the incident at Bahanaga Bazar Station in the Balasore district in an Indian Air Force helicopter. He reportedly had a discussion with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. According to the latest reports, nearly 300 people have died, and around 1,000 people have been injured in one of India's worst train accidents.
Rescue operations concluded, restoration work underway
After the reports of the train crash first emerged on Friday, Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured. Meanwhile, rescue operations at the accident site concluded at around 3:00pm on Saturday, and restoration work was underway. The train crash is the fourth deadliest in India, as per available records.
