Insurance payment to passengers of train mishap victims

Insurance payment to families of five of the 209 passengers, who opted for IRCTC's optional travel insurance scheme while booking e-tickets for the ill-fated Indore-Rajendra Nagar Express have been approved by insurance companies while efforts are being made for a speedy settlement of the remaining cases.
Insurance payment has already been made in one of these five confirmed death cases while the insurance companies have technically approved claims in four other cases of fatality, an official of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said today, giving an update on the status of passengers covered under the travel insurance scheme.

A total of 209 passengers opted for travel insurance while making bookings for the train, which derailed near Pukhrayan in Kanpur on November 20.
The official said there were 128 passengers eligible for insurance up to the accident spot of which 50 tickets were cancelled. Hence 78 passengers are eligible for travel insurance up to the accident spot.
For the seven injury and hospitalisation cases, insurance companies are getting in touch with the passengers and their families, few of these cases are for cashless hospitalisations or through TPA (Third Party Administrator). The number of cases involving minor injuries is eight.

The safety of 20 passengers was confirmed by calling them while in 34 cases, the insurance companies have not been able to make contact.

There are also two instances wherein the passengers have booked tickets twice for AC as well as sleeper class.
The scheme offers travellers/nominees/legal heirs a compensation of Rs 10 lakh in the event of death or total disability, Rs 7.5 lakh for partial disability, upto Rs 2 lakh for hospitalisation expenses and Rs 10,000 for transportation of mortal remains from the place of a train accident or where an untoward incident, including terrorist attack, dacoity, rioting, shootout or arson, occurs.

The number of passengers covered under three insurance companies - Royal Sundaram (32), Shriram (14) and ICICI Lombard (32).
The travel insurance scheme for rail journeys at the time of booking was announced in the Railway Budget this year and implemented since September 1.