Odisha train accident: Jagan calls for airlifting of the injured if needed

Control rooms were set up in the districts and they were on the job of tracing passengers who did not respond to mobile phone calls.

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday deputed a team led by Industries minister Gudivada Amarnath, three IAS and three IPS officers to the railway accident spot in Odisha, directing them to arrange for airlifting of the injured if needed.

Informing this to media persons, Amarnath said that best medical facilities available would be provided to the injured and a medical team was already sent to the place of accident from the state. Control rooms were set up in the districts and they were on the job of tracing passengers who did not respond to mobile phone calls.

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“The Chief Minister also advised that hospital staff, doctors and ambulances in Srikakulam and the neighbourhood be sent to the spot and said he would not hesitate to spend any amount of money for shifting the injured to hospitals. We are sending 104 and 108 ambulances there along with the doctors,” the minister disclosed.

He also said that there were 178 Andhra passengers involved in the accident and the officials were collecting information regarding the dead, injured and the missing. Control rooms were already functioning at Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Eluru and Krishna district Collectorates. “As many as 23 of the 39 passengers scheduled to alight in Vijayawada have contacted us. The mobile phones of five remained switched off, and two others’ were not reachable. Five others did not answer,” Amarnath said.