Virender Sehwag offers to provide 'free education' to orphaned children of Odisha Train catastrophe

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has come forward to help the grieving children who were orphaned in the tragic train collision in Odisha, on Friday, May 2, and offered them free education at Sehwag International School’s boarding facility. Over 288 people have been reported dead and over 1000 injured in a horrific three-train collision. 

The accident which took place near Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha's Balasore, involved three trains namely the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train. According to railway officials, over 3,400 passengers were travelling in two trains.

Sehwag took to Twitter and shared the image of the accident site and wrote, “This image will haunt us for a long time. In this hour of grief, the least I can do is to take care of education of children of those who lost their life in this tragic accident. I offer such children free education at Sehwag International School’s boarding facility 🙏🏼.”

This image will haunt us for a long time.

In this hour of grief, the least I can do is to take care of education of children of those who lost their life in this tragic accident. I offer such children free education at Sehwag International School’s boarding facility 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/b9DAuWEoTy

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) June 4, 2023

Following one of the most heart-wrenching train accidents in the nation’s history, the Railways ministry has sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the collision. Apart from Sehwag, the business tycoon, Gautam Adani has also announced to fund the school education of the children who lost their parents in the unfortunate incident.

"We all are deeply distressed by the Orissa train accident. We have decided that the Adani group will take responsibility of the school education of the innocent people who have lost their parents in this accident. It is the joint responsibility of all of us to provide strength to the victims and their families and better tomorrow to the children," Adani wrote on his Twitter handle.

उड़ीसा की रेल दुर्घटना से हम सभी बेहद व्यथित हैं।

हमने फैसला लिया है कि जिन मासूमों ने इस हादसे में अपने अभिभावकों को खोया है उनकी स्कूली शिक्षा की जिम्मेदारी अडाणी समूह उठाएगा।

पीड़ितों एवं उनके परिजनों को संबल और बच्चों को बेहतर कल मिले यह हम सभी की संयुक्त जिम्मेदारी है।

— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) June 4, 2023

Several other cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, VVS Laxman, Virat Kohli and expressed their heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, has announced a compensation of ₹ 5 lakhs for the families of the individuals who lost their lives in the tragic crash, and ₹ 1 lakh for those seriously injured. 

Earlier, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced an ex-gratia of INR 10 lakh and the Prime Minister's Office declared INR 2 lakh for the families which lost their near and dear ones in the tragedy.