Odisha train accident: PM Narendra Modi arrives at a hospital to meet injured victims

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at a hospital in Balasore to meet the injured victims. He came to the hospital directly after taking stock of the train accident site
• Tragic collision death count rises to 288 in Odisha train tragedy, 803 remain injured
• Rescue operations underway with involvement of multiple agencies, investigation ordered by Railway Minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at a hospital in Balasore to meet the injured victims. He came to the hospital directly after taking stock of the train accident site.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today on Saturday held a review meeting on the Odisha train accident that claimed the lives of 288 people and is scheduled to visit the accident site later in the day. A crucial meeting called after the tragic accident was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and senior government officials as Modi took stock of the situation.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit the accident site and also the Cuttack Hospital in Balasore where the injured are being treated.

At least 280 people were killed and more than 650 were reportedly injured in a collision between Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a freight train in Odisha's Balasore on Friday evening.According to South Eastern Railway, around 900+ injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro.

According to the preliminary report of the State Emergency Operations Center, around 900 people are injured.

24 units of fire and emergency services, five units of ODRAF and seven teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were involved in the rescue operations. Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were used to transport the injured and the deceased.

According to the IAF's Eastern Command, it is coordinating the rescue work with the civil government and the Indian Railways. Officials in Bhubaneswar said 200 ambulances, 50 buses and 45 mobile medical units, besides 1,200 personnel, are working at the accident site.

On Friday, Prime Minister Modi offered an ex-gratia of Rs 2,000 for each of the relatives of the deceased person. The ex-gratia amount will be paid from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the deceased people, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma said the accident occurred at around 7 am on Friday. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways, reached the spot and supervised the rescue efforts. He called for a thorough, high-level investigation into the situation. According to Vaishnaw, the Railway Safety Commissioner will also conduct an impartial inquiry on Saturday.