Amaravati, June 4: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed officials to provide ex-gratia payments to the families of passengers from the state who were either killed or injured in the train accident in Odisha.
During a review meeting held to discuss relief and rescue operations, the Chief Minister directed officials to grant Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased, Rs 5 lakh each to those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh each to those who sustained minor injuries. This financial assistance is in addition to the support provided by the Central government.
The Chief Minister inquired about the specific details of Andhra Pradesh passengers who lost their lives or suffered injuries in the accident. Officials informed him that only one passenger from Srikakulam district, who was a resident of Balasore in Odisha, had died in the incident. No other reports of casualties or injuries concerning passengers from Andhra Pradesh were received.
The Chief Minister was also briefed on the actions taken by the committee of IAS officers who visited the accident site. The committee, under the supervision of Minister G. Amarnath, has been actively involved in the rescue and relief efforts.
Additionally, Minister B. Satyanarayana, who is coordinating with officials in Visakhapatnam, stated during a media interaction that a total of 695 passengers from Andhra Pradesh were traveling in the two trains. Out of these, 484 passengers were aboard the Coromandel Express, while the remaining 211 were on the Yesvantpur Express.
Minister Satyanarayana confirmed that 553 passengers were safe, and 92 individuals reported to officials that they were not on board at the time of the accident. However, 28 passengers could not be reached via phone calls, and officials have been dispatched to their residences. Furthermore, 22 passengers sustained minor injuries and are currently receiving treatment at hospitals.
Regarding those traveling in unreserved coaches, detailed information was yet to be obtained. Minister Amarnath and officials were visiting various hospitals to gather further information on the incident.
“As per the information received, 180 bodies have not yet been identified,” stated Minister Satyanarayana.
