Odisha Govt To Felicitate People Who Turned Messiah During Balasore Train Accident

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will felicitate people, involved in the rescue operations after the three-way tragic train collision in Odisha’s Balasore district on June 2, on Sunday.

According to official sources, the state-level felicitation ceremony, acknowledging the selfless services rendered by the community volunteers, response forces and institutions, is scheduled to be held at Lok Seva Bhawan at 5 pm.

The Balasore administration has sent a list of local people, personnel of different government and private agencies, including Odisha police, fire service, Odisha disaster rapid action force (ODRAF), national disaster response force (NDRF), railway protection force (RPF), doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff, blood donors, mobilised in the rescue operation to the government for felicitation.

Following the accident in which Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express collided with a stationary goods train on the loop line and derailed, Naveen had then said that over 1,000 passengers were saved by the locals. “People providing support to rescue operations and the long queues for blood donation are sights rare but invaluable. I am proud of my people. I am proud of Odisha. The efforts of locals have manifested the compassion and humanity of the people of Odisha.”

According to reports, Ranajit Giri, Biprada Bag, Asha Behera and Ashok Bera, all residents of the Bahanaga Bazar station area, were among the first to rescue the injured.

Notably, secretary to chief minister (5T) V K Pandian had heaped praises on locals for their spontaneous response to the accident during his visit to Bahanaga on June 22. He had then announced that the Bahanaga panchayat would be developed as a model panchayat of the country. The Odisha government has also decided to document its massive rescue operation in the aftermath of the triple train tragedy, which claimed 296 lives and left 1,200 injured, highlighting planning, coordination and its execution, for future reference.