Virat Kohli reacts to Odisha train accident, sends prayers for families of deceased

In a horrific accident, two passenger trains and a goods train were involved in a major mishap on Friday evening, in the Balasore district of Odisha. Reports claim over 260 individuals have lost their lives due to the tragedy that took place around 7 pm. The shocking accident took place between Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train.

While the Internet overflowed with reactions to the tragic incident, former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli took to his official Twitter handle to send prayers to the families who lost their loved ones. “Saddened to hear about the tragic train accident in Odisha. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost their loved ones and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured,” read Kohli’s condolence message.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to visit accident site

As reported earlier, Government sources claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the accident site in Odisha’s Balasore on Sunday afternoon. PM Modi is expected to arrive in Bhubaneshwar by 2:30 p.m. IST and head to Balasore by a chopper. He is then expected to hold another review meeting regarding the mishap with the state administration. 

Meanwhile, Kohli’s tweet comes at a time when the entire country is ruing the loss of lives due to the horrific incident. The 34-year-old is currently in England with the Indian cricket team, preparing for the high-octane ICC World Test Championship final. The Rohit Sharma-led Team India will face Pat Cummins’ Australia in the summit clash which begins on June 7.

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Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier arrived at the accident spot on Saturday morning to review the situation. "It's a big tragic accident. Railway, NDRF, SDRF, and State govt are conducting the rescue operation. The best possible healthcare facilities will be provided. Compensation was announced yesterday. A high-level committee has been formed to inquire about it," he told reporters.  

"Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from the district administration. A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry," he added.