Jaya condoles familes of victims

Chennai, Apr 16 (UNI) AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today condoled the death of 11 people in a van-train collision at an unmanned level crossing near Govindavadi village in Kancheepuram district.

Recalling a similar accident in which 17 lives were lost in Kancheepuram in October last, she said the Centre and the state government should have taken necessary steps to prevent recurrence of such mishaps.

Due to their failure, invaluable human lives were being lost in such accidents, she alleged.

As India had achieved tremendous progress in Information Technology, the Railway Department should attempt to implement an alternative system to prevent accidents at unmanned level crossing, she said in a statement here.

Condemning the ''callous'' attitude of the Centre and the Railway administration in failing to take safety measures at unmanned level crossings despite the loss of several lives in last year's mishap, CPI(M) state secretary N Varadrajan demanded that adequate compensation and relief be provided to the families of victims and to the injured.

In a statement here, he said there were complaints that the Kancheepuram Government hospital did not have adequate facilities to provide proper treatment to the injured.

Stating that it was a matter of regret, he urged the government to ensure that adequate number of doctors and medicines were available at the hospital.

UNI