Odisha Balasore train accident: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin declares one-day state mourning

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 3 : Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday declared one-day state mourning following the Balasore train accident in Odisha, which claimed 238 lives and left more than 900 injured.

Apart from that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party has cancelled all its events scheduled for today to celebrate the former Chief Minister Kalaingar Karunanithi's centenary, according to a party source.

The Chief Minister will pay tribute at the Kalaingar Statue and Kalaingar Memorial with the rest of all public meetings and events cancelled. A public meeting of Secular Progressive Alliance leaders which is scheduled for this evening has been postponed and the next date will be announced later, he added further.

The Odisha government has declared a day of mourning for today in the wake of the train derailment. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said n Saturday, saying that no State celebrations would be held on the day.

Also, The Konkan Railway officials informed that the flagging off ceremony of the Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express has been cancelled in view of the tragic accident in Odisha.

The death toll in the train accident rose to 238 South Eastern Railway said on Saturday.

On Friday the Coromandel Express heading towards Chennai derailed near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Odisha's Balasore and collided with the Howrah-bound Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express which had derailed a few minutes back. The derailed coaches of the Coromandel then hit a goods train which was parked there.

The railways has initiated a high-level probe into the train.

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