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Tuesday,03-February-2026
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Odisha train tragedy: PM Modi announces ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to kin of dead, ₹50,000 for injured

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased in the train derailment in Odisha’s Balasore.

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.

The PMO also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each for the injured in the horrific accident.

PM & HM express grief over incident

Earlier, on Friday, PM Modi expressed grief over the incident in which several coaches of two passenger trains derailed after colliding with a goods train.

Taking stock of the situation in Balasore, Prime Minister Modi informed that rescue operations were underway at the site of the accident and all possible assistance was being provided to the injured.

After the horrific collision and the subsequent derailment of coaches in Odisha’s Balasore district, in which several passengers are feared dead and over 132 injured, an additional rescue team from Odisha Fire and Emergency Service, comprising 26 members with advance rescue equipment from Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy in Bhubaneswar rushed to the spot to mobilise emergency rescue measures, the Odisha government stated in a release.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the accident.

Odisha train tragedy

Multiple coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Bahanaga station in Odisha’s Balasore after colliding with a goods train.

“There are casualties but the toll is yet to be determined. The derailment involved three trains, two of which were passenger trains and another a goods train,” Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said.

The injured were shifted to Soro CHC, Gopalpur CHC, and Khantapada PHC, the chief secretary informed further.

According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident took place around 7 pm on Friday.

“At around 7 pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Baleswar and fell on the opposite track. After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah rammed into the derailed coaches, resulting in the derailment of 3-4 of its coaches,” Sharma told ANI.

Several teams deployed

A team of responders from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), numbering 22 members, reached the accident spot from Balasore Railway Station. Another team from Centralised Traffic Control (CTC), comprising 32 members, had set off for the spot half an hour before, said officials.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the state minister Pramila Mallik and the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) to reach the accident spot immediately. The minister and SRC left for the scene almost immediately.

The state chief secretary added that a large number of buses were dispatched to the accident spot in Balasore to help in the relief and rescue operations.

“Nearly 50 ambulances were also rushed to the spot but the number of injured appear to be far too many,” he said.

Crime

Mumbai Police Rebuts Social Media Claims About Missing Children; Warns Action Against Rumours

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A day after reports claimed that 12 minor children went missing within 36 hours across Mumbai, the Mumbai Police on Monday issued a statement rejecting the claims and warning social media users against spreading rumours related to missing or abducted children.

In a post on X, the Mumbai Police said, “Some social media accounts are spreading false information and rumours regarding missing and abducted children. We completely deny these claims.”

The police added that the process has been initiated to register FIRs and take strict legal action against individuals deliberately circulating false information to create fear among the public.

The clarification came a day after Media reported that 12 minor children, including eight girls, had gone missing within a 36-hour span. The unusually high number had triggered concerns about the possible presence of organised child trafficking networks in the city.

While some cases were linked to family disputes or children running away from home, a human trafficking angle was suspected in others.

According to Mumbai Police records, 145 children went missing between June and December 2025, including 93 girls. Between November 1 and December 6 alone, 82 missing cases were registered, with adolescents accounting for more than half. These included 41 girls and 13 boys under 18. Police said several children were later traced and reunited with their families.

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Crime

‘Drunk’ SUV Driver Ploughs Into Crowd After Hitting Several Vehicles In Sangli; 11 Injured

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Chaos unfolded in Maharashtra’s Sangli on Sunday when an SUV ploughed into a crowd after ramming several vehicles on Tilak Road near the Ganpati Temple. According to reports, 11 people, including five police personnel, were injured in the incident.

The accused driver has been identified as Praniket Dattatrey Panchal from the Barshi Road area in Latur. The vehicle first hit several vehicles before ploughing into a crowded stretch where people were walking to attend the Krushnamai Festival.

After the incident, the driver was pulled out of the vehicle by an angry mob and assaulted. The crowd also vandalised the SUV.

The accused was later rescued by the police.

According to reports, the driver was under the influence of alcohol when incident occured. The injured were rushed to hospitals for treatment. Police stated that the driver has been booked and further investigation is underway.

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National News

Fierce govt-Oppn showdown in LS over Rahul Gandhi’s mention of ex-Army chief’s unpublished memoir (Lead)

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New Delhi, Feb 2: The Lok Sabha witnessed uproarious scenes and a huge pandemonium with opposition and treasury benches getting into a face-off over the citing of an ‘unpublished’ book by former Army Chief Mukund Naravane.

LS Speaker Om Birla’s repeated attempts to bring order in the House failed utterly as the Congress party persisted with demands to quote Naravane’s memoirs while the government strongly objected, terming it ‘theatrics’.

The ruckus broke out after the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi, led the opposition charge during the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address on Monday.

The Congress MP started his speech by targeting the Centre over an article in a magazine, based on the memoirs of former Army chief Naravane. This invited a quick and direct counter from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and also Home Minister Amit Shah.

Gandhi said that the BJP questions the Congress party’s patriotism but blocks a book penned by a top officer of the Armed Forces.

As he started citing lines from the memoir, loud protests erupted from the treasury benches.

Rajnath Singh strongly objected to Gandhi’s quoting from the book, stating that the claims were vague as the book had not even published.

“What is the government scared of?” asked Rahul while doubling down his charge.

LS Speaker Om Birla advised the opposition members to refrain from citing any unverified subject, stating that this would amount to a breach of parliamentary norms.

As the opposition resorted to slogan-shouting, prompting a counter from HM Amit Shah. He urged the Speaker to direct the LoP to stop misleading the House with falsified claims.

The ruckus over Gandhi’s claims, where he stated that Chinese tanks were hurtling towards the Indian border, continued unabated as the opposition insisted on raising these charges while the treasury benches, including Union Ministers, erupted in protest.

The parliamentary rulebook was also cited by some BJP members, but the chaos and pandemonium persisted.

At one point, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav also rallied behind Rahul Gandhi and stated that since the China border is a sensitive matter, the Congress leader should be allowed to speak on the same.

Congress MPs also pointed fingers at the Speaker, claiming that the ruling party lawmakers have quoted false claims on the Nehru rule multiple times, but they were always given a free hand.

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