Railway Minister Ashiwini Kumar Vaishnaw paid a visit to the accident site at Bahanaga Railway station in Balasore district on Saturday morning, emphasizing the rescue and treatment of the injured passengers.
The current focus, according to the Railway Minister, is on rescuing and treating the injured individuals.
He expressed his condolences for the people who lost their lives in the accident and extended his sympathies to the grieving families.
The Railway Minister announced the formation of a committee to investigate the incident. He also stated that a comprehensive inquiry, led by senior officials, has been initiated.
Additionally, he mentioned that the Railway Safety Commissioner will visit the site soon to assess the situation.
The Chief Secretary of Odisha, P K Jena, provided an update on the rescue operation at Bahanaga Railway station in Balasore district, stating that it is nearing completion, with one coach posing a challenge.
Jena requested the assistance of railway authorities, including the use of a crane, to rescue passengers from the affected coach.
The Chief Secretary informed that the process of postmortem and body identification has commenced. The identification process is underway, and bodies will be released to the respective families once identified.
Furthermore, he highlighted the overwhelming response from the public, with hundreds of people arriving at the hospital during the midnight hours to donate blood to the accident victims. So far, Balasore hospital has collected 900 units of blood, while SCB Medical College has collected 100 units.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw arrived at the accident site in Bahanaga and held discussions with senior Railway officials.
As a result of the incident, 15 trains have been canceled, and several others have been diverted.
District administrations have been instructed to provide food and water to stranded passengers at different stations and assist them in reaching their destinations.