Odisha Train Accident: LIC Eases Claim Process For Victims

Odisha Train Accident: National insurer LIC on Saturday announced many relaxations for the claim settlement process for the victims of the Balasore train tragedy. The accident involving two passenger trains and a stationary goods train has led to the loss of life of at least 294 people so far and left over 1,100 injured.

In a late evening statement, LIC chairman Siddhartha Mohanty announced a slew of relaxations to the claim settlement process for the kin of the victims.

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“We are deeply saddened by the tragic train accident in Balasore, Odisha on Friday. LIC is committed to supporting those affected and will expedite claim settlements to provide financial relief,” Mohanty was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Corporation has also set up a special help desk and a call centre number (022-68276827) at the divisional and branch levels to respond to claim-related queries and for providing assistance to claimants.

The Corporation also announced many concessions to mitigate the hardships of the claimants of LIC policies and also of the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. It said in lieu of registered death certificates, a list of casualties published by the Railways, police or any state or Central authorities will be accepted as proof of death.

All efforts will be taken to ensure that the claimants are reached out and claims are settled expeditiously to the affected families, the statement said.

Meanwhile, two days after one of India’s worst train accidents at Bahanga Bazar in Odisha’s Balasore district, most railway tracks have been cleared of wrecked railway coaches overnight by a team of bulldozers and cranes so that railway services on the main trunk line connecting eastern and southern India can be restored, railway officials said on Sunday.

Work on repairing tracks and overhead electric cables which had snapped is also going on, said officials.

Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Dharmendra Pradhan who have camped here visited the railway accident site in the early hours of the morning.

“Restoration work is going on at a fast pace,” said Vaishnaw.

Pradhan added that “rescue work is over … we are working with the local administration to send people affected back home.” He also said that the big challenge is to restore tracks so that the railway link between two important wings of the country can start functioning.

“should be able to do it,” the minister said.

The Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train, derailing most of its coaches at around 7 pm Friday. A few passenger wagons of Coromandel whiplashed the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express which was passing by at the same time.

(With PTI inputs)