Congress President Sonia Gandhi [Images] on Wednesday met family members of the 12 tribals who were killed in police firing in Orissa on January 2 and shared their grief as the Centre announced a compensation of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each victim.

Flying down to Orissa in an Indian Air Force chopper, Sonia drove to the spot where the victims were cremated as the assembled people welcomed her enthusiastically.

She then met the family members of the victims and other tribals who had been on a 'rasta roko' since the last ten days on the Daitari-Paradip expressway. Describing the incident as a 'great tragedy,' she said, "My sympathies are with the bereaved families. The Congress party has always been with the tribals since the days of Indira Gandhi [Images] and Rajiv Gandhi. Justice would be done to the family members of the victims."