Mamata and Railway Minister in a wordy duel over casualty
Saturday, 3 June 2023 (14:17 IST)
Bhubaneswar: Railway Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had a spat over the number of toll in the accident at the site at Bahanaga in Odisha.
While Banerjee said the toll might be 500 in the accident, the Railway Minister said it is not 500 but 238.
The West Bengal Chief Minister said bodies are still trapped in three coaches of the train,while the Railway Minister said rescue operation was over and the injured are being treated in various hospitals of Balasore, Bhadrak and Cuttack.Meanwhile, the South Eastern Railway put the toll at 261.
Banerjee said there was no anti-collision system in the train. Had there been the system, such an accident could have been averted, Banerjee stated.The West Bengal Chief Minister said 60 percent of the total passengers in the train that met with the accident are from West Bengal.
Banerjee is scheduled to visit the injured undergoing treatment in various hospitals.She said ambulances, bus and doctors were provided for the treatment of injured persons.(UNI)
