The railway authorities have announced that compensation will be provided to all passengers, regardless of whether they were ticketless or not, on the passenger trains involved in the Odisha accident. This decision aligns with a directive from the Supreme Court, according to officials. Amitabh Sharma, the railway spokesperson, stated that regardless of ticket status, passengers will receive compensation.
During a press briefing, Jaya Verma Sinha, a Member of Operations and Business Development of the Railway Board, mentioned that each patient admitted to hospitals has a designated individual, acting as a scout or guide, to assist their relatives in locating them. Additionally, Verma explained that the helpline number 139 is available for individuals to contact senior rail officers who are actively responding to calls and attempting to connect with as many people as possible.
Verma assured that family members of the injured or deceased can contact the railway authorities through the helpline, and arrangements will be made to facilitate their visit and take care of their travel and other expenses.
The railway administration also confirmed the uninterrupted operation of the 139 helpline service, ensuring the prompt disbursement of ex-gratia payments announced by the rail minister. The compensation amounts to ₹10 lakh in case of death, ₹2 lakh for grievous injuries, and ₹50,000 for minor injuries.
To date, the railways has disbursed ₹3.22 crore as ex-gratia in 285 cases, including 11 deaths, 50 grievous injuries, and 224 minor injuries.
The Indian Railways is distributing the ex-gratia amounts at seven locations, namely Soro, Kharagpur, Balasore, Khantapara, Bhadrak, Cuttack, and Bhubaneswar.
Approximately 200 victims still remain unidentified, and their photographs have been posted on the website of the South Eastern Railway to aid in the identification process.
