Odisha Train Accident: 3 Brothers From West Bengal Village Among Many Lives Lost, Family 'Devastated'

A family lost three members in the Odisha train tragedy in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district. They were three brothers who were travelling to Tamil Nadu in search of work says the reports.

The victims were reportedly identified as Haran Gayen (40), Nishikant Gayen (35) and Dibakar Gayen (32) are residents of Charanikhali village in Basanti Uttar. The reports suggest that they usually lived in the southern state most time of the year and did menial jobs there.

According to the reports, the brothers had returned home to visit the family and were on their way back to Tamil Nadu in search of more work as farm labourers in the Coromandel Express.

The family, survived by the three brothers, is devastated and their village remains to be in the gloom. According to the reports, the wives of the Gayen brothers fell unconscious after hearing the news, the neighbours are consoling the bereaved family members.

Haran's wife Anajita is a neurological patient, reports said, adding that her treatment was now in question. He is survived by two married daughters and a son who has recently started working at a local eatery.

The reports say that besides his wife, Nishikant is survived by a daughter and a son, both minors. Dibakar is survived by two sons and his wife.

The son of Haran Gayen, Avijit was inconsolable when he spoke to the media, he said "My father and uncles are no more, our family is devastated."

Deaths from West Bengal

According to the reports, an official has informed that 12 people lost their lives belonging to the district in the crash, which happened on Friday evening.

A total of 110 people from the district were injured, 44 were missing and 16 have so far returned to their homes, they said.

Among those dead, six people are from Basanti block, including the three brothers, two from Kakdwip and one each from Joynagar-2, Baruipur, Canning-1 and Magrahat-1 blocks, they added.

While most of the victims from the district were migrant workers, the rest went to Bengaluru for treatment, officials said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went to visit the site yesterday and announced ex gratia for the kin of the victims of the tragedy. It is said that while addressing the media at the accident site, Banerjee said the West Bengal government will provide ₹5 lakhs for each of the next of kin of those killed in the accident. She also said that an amount of ₹1 lakh has been announced for the injured and ₹50,000 each will be given to the victims of the state.

Odisha CM announcement

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the family members of those killed in the triple train accident at Bahanga Bazar near Balasore. Reportedly, the assistance will be given from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The next of kin of the deceased will get an assistance of Rs 5 lakh and those who sustained serious injuries will get Rs 1 lakh as assistance, a statement issued by the CMO said.

Earlier Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh and the Prime Minister’s Office declared Rs 2 lakh for the families which lost their near and dear ones in the tragedy.

According to the preliminary report of the Railways, the Coromandel Express entered the loop line and crashed into a goods train parked there instead of the main line, near Bahanaga Bazar railway station.

The accident in Balasore involving three trains -- Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train -- killed 288 people, in one of the worst railway tragedies in the country.

(with PTI inputs)