Odisha Chief Secy Responds to Questions on Death Figures in Balasore Crash, Here’s What He Said

Chief Secretary of Odisha PK Gina said on Sunday that his government had no intention of concealing the deaths in the Balasore train accident and that the entire rescue operation was taking place in plain sight of the public.

Responding to allegations that the death toll was rigged, he said Odisha believes in transparency.

“The media are very present at the scene from the start. Everything is done in the presence of cameras.

“The Railways reported the death toll as 288. We also said that, and the figure was based on information from the Railways. But, the Balasore District Collector verified the death toll, and it was 275 as of 10 am on Sunday.

Asked about the change in the death toll, Gina said it was due to the double body count. The Secretary-General said that there is no ban on the entry of media personnel to the site of the accident.

“The salvage and even restoration activities continued in full view of the public,” he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee disputed the death figures, stating that 61 people from her state had died and 182 were still missing. “If there are 182 missing from one country and 61 people are confirmed dead, where will the numbers stand?” I asked at a news conference.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnau declined to answer any questions from reporters regarding Banerjee’s allegation. The Secretary-General said that only 108 of the 275 bodies had been identified.

He said the state would like to identify all the bodies so they can be cremated by their families.

“Given the prevailing hot weather, the bodies decompose quickly. Therefore, the state can wait a maximum of two additional days before disposing of them in accordance with the law.

(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)