New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the train accident in Odisha’s Balasore was the “biggest of this century” and a proper investigation was needed to find out the truth.
Banerjee, who served twice as railway minister, reached the accident site on Saturday afternoon to oversee the rescue operation. She spoke to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other senior officials already present there.
“This is the biggest train accident of this century and it should be properly investigated,” Banerjee told reporters. “There must be something behind it. The truth must come out. Why didn’t the system of preventing trains from colliding work?”
Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the passengers from West Bengal who died in the accident. “We have already sent 70 ambulances, 40 doctors and nurses to help the injured,” she said.
The railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the kin of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the accident and announced an additional compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).