New Delhi: Prime Minister Narender Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting in the wake of "tragic" train accident in Balasore, Odisha.

The meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Cabinet Secretary Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and other officials to take stock of the situation amid the "train mishap" in Odisha.

During the meeting the Prime Minister discussed "aspects relating to rescue, relief and medical attention to those affected were discussed in the review meeting", as per PMO India tweet.

The Prime Minister will later visit the site of the train accident in Odisha and also the Cuttack hospital where the injured are being treated.

As many as 261 people were killed and over 900 injured in the crash on Friday involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train.

Earlier, PM Modi expressed his distress over the accident, and announced an additional ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

“Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation. Rescue ops are underway at the site of the mishap and all possible assistance is being given to those affected,” he tweeted.