Train accident: TN govt says passengers from state safe; 6 remain to be directly contacted

Direct contact is yet to be established with only six persons from the state vis-a-vis the Odisha train accident, the Tamil Nadu government said on Sunday while over a 100 survivors arrived here by a special train from Bhadrak.

On his arrival here following a visit to Odisha along with Transport Minister SS Sivasankar to coordinate rescue activities, Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said they did not find any one from TN in any hospital in the eastern state being treated for injuries.

Udhayanidhi and Sivasankar visited hospitals, mortuary, and a call centre as well set up by Odisha for rescue initiatives.

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The Ministers held discussions with Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena and senior officials.

Following his two-day visit to Odisha, Udhayanidhi said no passenger hailing from Tamil Nadu was affected. The state government, citing official information received so far on the train accident, said no person from Tamil Nadu was killed or injured warranting treatment. As regards eight Tamil Nadu people with whom contact could not be established, Udhayanidhi said authorities have now traced and spoken to two men --Narakanigopi and A Jagadeesan-- and they were safe.

Co-passengers have informed railway police that six others were also safe, he said. However, "when we speak directly to the six others also, we can come to a conclusion that no one from Tamil Nadu is affected," the Youth Welfare Minister said. Following screening procedure for the over 100 passengers, medical examination was conducted for 36 of them and one person has been admitted as in-patient at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here.

All others have been sent home following examination. Some were treated for minor injuries. For several survivors of the Odisha train accident who arrived here on Sunday in a special train, the trauma they endured is unlikely to dissipate soon and it was more than shock and disbelief for them. A woman, who is a native of Kerala said she had only seen accidents on televisions and when she experienced it herself, she was terrified.

"The bed sheets given to passengers were used to carry the injured and it turned red with blood; a dreadful scene," she told reporters here.

Wearied by the tragedy and the long journey as well, a man said seeing blood, severed limbs and bodies of men and women lying scattered was tormenting. Another passenger who was injured said: "I was asleep in compartment S-1. All of a sudden I heard a bang and before I could realise what happened I almost fainted after something like a rod hit the side of my rib cage."

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He was taken away in a wheelchair by healthcare workers to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital. Kanagaraj, an Army man from Salem in Tamil Nadu, who was on the Chennai bound train for vacation said bogies got separated, some fell on the side and some others landed on other coaches due to the sudden slamming of brakes by the driver. Health Minister Ma Subramanian, speaking to reporters said, in total 294 passengers boarded the special train, 137 of them arrived here and others disembarked at various railway stations.

Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said arrangements have been made to receive passengers of the Sunday special train from Bhadrak that is scheduled to arrive here on June 5. Survivors of the train accident, including a student, arrived here on Saturday.