Rahul Gandhi meets train accident victims, pulls up rail officials

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who today met those injured in the Kalka Mail accident at a hospital in Kanpur, pulled up railway officials after the victims complained that they had not got the promised compensation.

During his nearly 40-minute visit to Hallett hospital, Gandhi, who was accompanied by Union coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal and senior rail and other officials, inquired about the condition of those undergoing treatment in the Burns, Emergency and ICU wards from their families and doctors, officials said.

Gandhi promised the victims and their families all possible help.

A few victims told Gandhi that they haven't received the promised compensation from the rail ministry yet. A visibly agitated Gandhi expressed his unhappiness over the complaints and directed the rail officials to take steps to hand over the compensation to the victims as soon as possible, they said.

The railway officials said that they were facing some problems but Rahul dismissed them.

"I don't know all this. You will have to immediately settle this," the Congress general secretary was quoted as saying by an official accompanying him.

Fifty-six of those injured in the train tragedy have been admitted to the hospital here while others are undergoing treatment in Allahabad and Fatehpur.

Gandhi was originally scheduled to reach here at 8am but due to a last minute change in plans, he reached Hallett hospital at 10:55 am from Chakeri airport.