Indore-Patna Express derailment ‘utter failure’ of Modi govt: Congress
Demanding an explanation from the ruling government, Congress leader Madhu Yashki Goud urged them to announce adequate compensation to the victims.
The Congress party on Sunday held the Suresh Prabhu-led railway ministry as responsible for the derailment of Indore-Patna express and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has totally ignored the safety of Indian railways.
Demanding an explanation from the ruling government, Congress leader Madhu Yashki Goud urged them to announce adequate compensation to the victims.
“It is a very tragic incident and one of the biggest accidents in the history of railways. The Congress party expresses its deepest condolences to the grieved family members and also at the same time demands from the government compensation to the kin of the deceased and injured,” said Goud.
“Our party also demands an explanation from the government. The Prime Minister is busy travelling to Japan and talking about bullet trains but during his tenure ignored the safety of the railways. It is utter failure of the railways minister,” he added.
Read | In pics: Rescue operations on as Indore-Patna Express train derails
“There are over 1.22 lakh vacant positions in the railways of which 75% pertain to safety. Important that government fills them up as soon as possible,” said another Congress leader Ahmad Patel said.
With massive rescue operations in full swing to pull out bodies from the wreckage of the derailed Indore-Patna Express, the death toll in the tragic accident has mounted to over 100.
At least 153 people have been injured and several bodies are still trapped under the wreckage of the mangled coaches after the train derailed at the Hanshi-Kanpur intersection in Uttar Pradesh at 3.20 a.m.
One army column, a team of doctors and paramedics have been deployed to the spot to help in the rescue operation.
Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from Varanasi and one NDRF team from Lucknow have been sent to the accident spot to assist in the rescue operation.
Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha has ordered a high-level probe into the incident.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the bereaved kin of the victims.
Read | Two children pulled out alive from derailed coach of Indore-Patna Express