Odisha train accident: “Not the time to suppress the truth,” says Mamata Banerjee

Howrah (West Bengal) [India], June 5 (ANI): Stepping up her attack on the Central government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the Railway Board’s decision to hand over the inquiry into the Odisha train accident to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) saying that “it is not the time to suppress the truth”.

The West Bengal CM said, “We want people to know the truth. It is not the time to suppress the truth”.
“I also gave Gyaneshwari Express case to CBI but no result came. 12 years over but we see no result. CBI handles criminal and accident cases. The Railway Safety Commission is there,” she further remarked.

“Some people lost their hands and legs in the Balasore accident. For such people, our government has decided that we will give a special home guard job to one of their family members,” the West Bengal CM said.

“I will revisit Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. On Wednesday, we will hand over cheques of ex-gratia amount and job letters to families of the victims of the Odisha train accident,” she added.

CM Mamata Banerjee also paid last respects to those who lost their lives in the train accident.

The Odisha government on Monday informed that 151 bodies from the triple train accident that took place in Odisha’s Balasore district have been identified till today morning.

The Odisha government on Monday informed that 151 bodies from the triple train accident that took place in Odisha’s Balasore district have been identified till today morning.

At least 275 people were killed, while more than 1,000 were injured in the accident that took place near the Bahanaga Bazar area on June 2.

Odisha’s Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena in a statement issued on Monday morning said that as many as 151 bodies have been identified so far.

“All bodies after the due process are handed over for transfer to their destination. All arrangements for free transportation of the bodies by hearses/ dead body carriers till destination have been made by Odisha government,” said Jena in the statement.

The triple train accident involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and the goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar station in the Balasore district.

Earlier on Sunday, Odisha Chief Secy Pradeep Jena clarified that the death toll from the horrific accident had been revised from 288 to 275 after it was determined that some bodies had been counted twice.

Indian Railways has started running passenger trains on the tracks in Bahanaga village in Odisha’s Balasore which were affected due to the triple train accident.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday waved at the crew of a goods train and prayed for a safe journey, as services resumed after 51 hours of a train accident in Balasore.

“Services on both tracks have been restored. Normal train services on both lines have now been restored, 51 hours after the accident,” said Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The incident took place around 7 pm on June 2 near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar. It involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express — and a goods train.