Jagan declares additional ex gratia for AP train victims

VIJAYAWADA: AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, reviewing the aftermath of the triple-train tragedy on Sunday, announced Rs 10 lakh for each family of the diseased from Andhra Pradesh, Rs 5 lakh for every seriously injured person and Rs 1 lakh each to those who have sustained minor injuries.

These amounts will be in addition to the financial help announced by the Centre.

At the review meeting, the Chief Minister sought details of passengers from Andhra Pradesh who have died or sustained injuries in the disaster. Officials told him that so far, only one death of a Srikakulam native has been confirmed, who had been a resident of Balasore in Odisha.

The body of the lone AP victim C. Gurumurthy, from Srikakulam’s Santhabommali mandal, had been handed over to his family members in Balasore on Saturday. The family completed his cremation in Balasore itself.

Officials informed Jagan Mohan Reddy that injured people from AP have been shifted to other hospitals from the Balasore district hospital. Among them are K. Puja who has been moved to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. Two others are being shifted to a private hospital in Arilova Vizag. Another two are at another private hospital in Visakhapatnam. One person is in KGH Visakhapatnam. Two persons had been treated at INS Kalyani in Vizag and discharged. Seven people of AP with minor injuries had been treated at Balasore. They have since returned to their homes in Visakhapatnam.

Officials told Jagan Mohan Reddy about the initiatives taken by the IAS officers’ committee in the aftermath of the incident under supervision of IT minister G. Amarnath. Minister B. Satyanarayana is also coordinating with these officials from Visakhapatnam.

The AP government has stationed five ambulances in Balasore, and 25 ambulances and 15 Mahaprasthanam hearse vehicles in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. 10 ambulances are in Ichapuram.

AP government employees are supervising relief and rehabilitation of distressed passengers from the state in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Balasore.

Toll free numbers 1070, 18004250101 and 8333905022 are continuing to function.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that district collector, Balasore, has confirmed identification of 275 of the deceased. 78 bodies have been handed over to the next of kin. Another 10 bodies are in the process of being handed over. Unidentified and unclaimed bodies are 187. 182 of them have been shifted to six mortuaries in Bhubaneswar till now.