Akshay Kumar expresses grief over lives lost in tragic Odisha train mishap

Actor Akshay Kumar extended his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in Odisha's train mishap.

Actor Akshay Kumar extended his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in Odisha's train mishap. Taking to Instagram, Akshay mentioned that the visuals from the tragic train accident left him heartbroken.

"Heartbreaking to see the visuals from the tragic train accident in Odisha.Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.My thoughts and condolences to the families of the affected during this difficult time. Om Shanti," he wrote. Actor Shilpa Shetty also reacted to the accident.

"Gutted about the loss of so many lives in the train accident in Odisha. Praying for the souls of the deceased and their families," she wrote on Instagram Story. As per the latest estimates by the South Eastern Railway, the death toll in the train accident involving two express trains -- Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express -- and a goods train in Balasore has risen to 238.Around 650 injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro, the South Eastern Railway said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. According to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office, the ex-gratia amount will be allotted from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the dead.

Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, on the way to Howrah, derailed and fell on an adjacent track. The 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express coming from the opposite direction on a parallel track rammed into the derailed coaches. Some Coromandel Express coaches derailed and hit the stationary goods train on the third track. According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident took place around 7 pm on Friday.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation. He has ordered a detailed high-level inquiry om the incident.The rail safety commissioner will also conduct an independent inquiry, Vaishnaw said on Saturday."Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from the district administration," the union railway minister said. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)