BJP senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for "failing" to help the victims of Balasore train tragedy.

Sushil Modi said that neither Nitish Kumar himself nor any of his senior ministers visited Odisha to help the rail tragedy victims of Bihar origin. Even his government has not initiated any help desk to provide assistance to the family members of the victims.

"Unlike Mamata Banerjee, who went to Odisha and personally monitored the proceedings of relief and rescue operations. She went beyond party politics and provided 40 buses for injured persons, and family members of the victims. Why did Nitish Kumar not go to Balasore or send a senior minister of the government to provide assistance to the victims of the railway tragedy," the BJP leader asked.

"At present, 21 passengers belonging to Bihar are still missing and their family members are struggling to find them. The state government is not providing help to any of the victim's families. They are going there at their own expense and returning home empty hands after their money ends. Why has the Bihar government not made arrangements for the accommodation and food for the family members who went there in search of their loved ones?" he said.

"Even, the state government has not made any arrangements of DNA and blood tests at ground zero," Sushil Modi added.

Meanwhile, officials of Bihar's Disaster Management Department claimed that the department has issued toll-free numbers 0612-2294204/205 and 7070290170. They also said that a control command centre was also established on June 2 in Patna. The train tragedy in Balasore happened on June 1.

Officials further said that in the tragedy, 48 persons belonging to Bihar have lost their lives so far, while 43 were injured. As many as 89 passengers have returned home. (IANS/NS)