Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed deep sorrow over the Odisha tragic train accident and conveyed his deep condolences to the bereaved families. CM Vijayan asserted that the people of Kerala would stand in solidarity with the accident victims and their families in this time of difficulty.
In a condolence message posted on Twitter, the Kerala Chief Minister said he was 'deeply saddened by the tragic train accident in Odisha'. He further said that he would extend his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones. Vijayan tagged his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik's Twitter handle to his tweet.
The tragic stories of those trapped, killed and injured in the massive train accident are still trickling in from the spot and from different hospitals where they have been admitted. Hundreds of people were dead and many more were injured in the crash which is being described as the deadliest railway mishap in the people's recent memory.
The horrific accident took place as the passengers in the two express trains, Coromandel and Bengaluru-Howrah, were preparing to take their dinner around 7 pm before going to sleep during their long-distance journeys. Those travelling in the Shalimar-Chennai Central Express Train bore the brunt of the accident as over 12 coaches of this train came off the track under the high-impact collision.
The Central and State Governments initiated rescue efforts in a big way. Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit the accident spot today while Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and scores of other dignitaries already reached the spot and took stock of the situation.
