Ashwini Vaishnaw Expresses Gratitude To Locals During Visit To Bahanaga in Balasore Dist On Rath Yatra Day

Balasore, June 20: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday visited the site of the horrific Coromandal train accident at Bahanaga in Balasore district and interacted with locals.

During his visit, the Minister expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the locals who jumped into action on that fateful night of June 2 and were the first responders in attending to the affected passengers.

He also spent time with a family at their home where the Minister would visit during his stay at the site to oversee the restoration work. The house is adjacent to the level crossing of the Bahanaga rail accident and the Minister would use their bathroom given its proximity to the site.

News agency ANI reported that the Minister assured to look into the demands of the locals including the construction of a Road-over-Bridge and lighting facilities in the area. He also held a meeting with the District Collector of Balasore, the SP and senior railway officials.

The accident, billed as one of the worst disasters in India’s railway history, has claimed 292 victims so far, even as several injured passengers are still undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.  The Railways have entrusted the CBI to probe into the mishap.

Meanwhile, the South Eastern Railway has dismissed reports that some staff were untraceable after being grilled by CBI as has been reported in sections of media. A spokesperson of the South Eastern Railway said none of the staff has gone missing and is cooperating with the CBI in the investigation. Some media reports said that CBI has expanded its area of probe and conducted searches at several places in West Bengal on Monday and Tuesday.