Odisha Train Accident—Death Toll Rises To 278 As Three More Succumb To Injuries: Railways

Railways put the official death toll in the Odisha train crash at 278, stating that three more people have succumbed to their injuries. The state government's revised toll remained unchanged at 275.

Railways put the official death toll in the Odisha train crash at 278, stating that three more people have succumbed to their injuries. The state government's revised toll remained unchanged at 275. ( Image Source :PTI )

Railways put the official death toll in the Odisha triple train crash at 278, stating that three more people have succumbed to their injuries.

The state government's revised toll, however, remained unchanged at 275.

Khurda Road Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rinkesh Ray said on Monday that apart from 278 deaths, 1,100 people were injured in the June 2 accident.

On the state government's toll remaining at 275, he said, "Figures do change with time." The toll was earlier put at 288, which the state government revised to 275 on Sunday, claiming some bodies were counted twice.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also a former Railway Minister, questioned the figures, stating that 61 people from her state have died and 182 others are still missing.

Roy said of the 1,100 injured, less than 200 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals.

He said that of the 278 bodies, 177 have been identified while 101 more are yet to be identified and these unclaimed bodies have been kept in six different hospitals.

Roy said the Railways has deployed people in states such as Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to locate any missing person.

He said the bodies will be preserved in a scientific manner. 

Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit hospitals in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in neighbouring Odisha on Tuesday to meet those injured in the triple train crash undergoing treatment there.

Banerjee to be accompanied by state ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya and Shashi Panja, is also likely to meet those undergoing treatment at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital in Paschim Medinipore district while returning from Bhubaneswar, a source in the state secretariat said.

"Besides meeting the patients Banerjee will be overseeing how they are being treated. She is also going to talk to the family members of the injured. She is also likely to meet those undergoing treatment at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital while returning, but that is yet not confirmed," he told PTI.

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)