Title - Railways handover ex-gratia to injured passengers

Bangalore, May 23 (PTI) In a swift action, the Railways today disbursed ex-gratia amount to those injured in the collision of Hampi Express with a stationary goods train at Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh that claimed 25 lives. Two teams of officials visited the Railway hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Trauma and Orthopaedic Centre here and Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam Hospital at Puttaparthy and handed over ex-gratia amount of Rs one lakh to 14 grievously wounded and Rs 50,000 to four persons who sufferred simple injuries. The South Western Railway in a release here said 23 of 25 deceased in the yesterday's mishap have been identified. In 17 cases where the immediate kith and kin of the fatal victims had been identified, a team of railway officials have been deputed to visit them and hand over the ex-gratia amount of Rs five lakh tomorrow. For the remaining cases efforts are being made to identify the beneficiaries. Railway Minister Mukul Roy who visited the accident spot had announced Rs five lakh compensation to the families of those died in the mishap, Rs one lakh to seriously injured and Rs 50,000 to those with simple injuries. Those passengers who had left after treatment for simple injuries and discharged were being traced out since they are from the villages, it said.