New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi today urged his fellow MPs to give a portion of their salaries to the families of those killed and injured in the Odisha train tragedy. He said the families should first get support, and then justice.
Stating that the three-train accident in Odisha's Balasore was heart-wrenching, the MP from Pilibhit said that the need of the hour was for everyone to stand in support of the families like a rock.
Mr Gandhi tweeted in Hindi: "The train accident in Odisha is heart-wrenching. We should stand in support of the grieving families like a rock. I appeal to all my fellow MPs to aid the grieving families by giving a part of our salaries to them. They should be given support first, and then justice."
At least 261 people were killed and 900 were injured in the three-train collision in Odisha's Balasore on Friday evening. The accident happened after some coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express derailed and hit a goods train on the adjacent tracks. The Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express then crashed into the derailed coaches of the Coromandel express.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a high-level committee has been declared to investigate the train accident. He has also announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the dead, Rs 2 lakh for those seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for those who sustained minor injuries in the accident.
The Railways said the rescue operation has been completed and the focus is now on restoration work.