Mamata Banerjee announces ex-gratia for MP rail victims

New Delhi : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an ex-gratia for the victims of the Madhya Pradesh train tragedy that killed 21 and injured over 50 on Monday.

However, official figures said 15 passengers lost their lives and 30 were injured out of which 10 are grievously injured when an empty goods train collided head-on with the Indore – Gwalior Intercity Express (1125 Dn) which was stationed at a platform of Badarwas railway station between Guna and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal Division of West Central Railway.

Terming the train accident as ?most unfortunate? Banerjee has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next kin of the dead, Rs 1 lakh each to grievously injured passengers and Rs 50,000 to those who sustained simple injuries.

She has also announced jobs in the Railways to one person of the deceased?s family.

The Railway Minister has given instructions to Railway officials for the speedy relief and rescue operation and for undertaking effective medical treatment to the injured passengers.

A Guard-cum-luggage-cum-Passenger (SLR) coach and three ordinary General Class coaches of Intercity Express were damaged in the accident.

All the passengers in the remaining coaches of Intercity Express are safe, said railway officials.

All the injured were shifted to Civil Hospitals in Guna and Shivpuri.

Minister of State for Railways K.H.Muniyappa, senior Railway Board officials and also officials from West Central Railways (Headquarters at Jabalpur) and North Western Railway (Headquarters at Jaipur) have rushed to the accident site.

For the convenience of public, Helplines were set up at various railway stations including Badarwas, Guna, Bhopal, Shivpuri, Indore, Bina and Gwalior.