Investigators were probing any human error, signal failure and other possible reasons behind the derailment of three trains in Odisha’s Balasore district on Saturday as authorities submitted a preliminary probe report into India’s worst rail accident in nearly three decades. In which at least 288 people were killed. dead and over 1,100 injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the accident site and was briefed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav as well as officials from the disaster management teams. He also met some of the injured in the hospital.
Modi said, “I have no words to express my pain…no one will be spared and strict action will be taken against those found guilty. Instructions have been given to ensure proper and speedy investigation of the tragedy.” ” Special attention will be paid to the safety of railway passengers.
The accident between the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, carrying around 2,500 passengers, and a goods train took place around 7 pm on Friday near Bahanga Bazar station in Balasore, around 250 km from Kolkata. km south and 170 km away. north of Bhubaneswar.
Twenty-one coaches were derailed and severely damaged in the accident, trapping hundreds of passengers. Both the passenger trains were running at high speed and this has been cited by experts as one of the main reasons for the high number of casualties.
From a vantage point above ground, the disaster site looked as if a powerful tornado had tossed cartons on top of each other like toys. Close to the ground, blood-soaked, mutilated bodies and dismembered body parts lay entangled, creating a grotesque scene. Large cranes were deployed to clear the debris and gas cutters were used to retrieve the bodies from the damaged coaches. The rescue operation was called off on Saturday afternoon and restoration work began. More than 150 trains were cancelled, diverted or short-terminated due to traffic disruption on this route.
Coromandel Express enters loop line
Preliminary investigation revealed that a signal was given to the Coromandel Express to enter the main line but it was removed and the train entered the loop line and collided with a stationary goods train. The Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, which was coming at high speed, rammed into the coaches of the Coromandel Express, which were scattered on the adjacent track. Citing the report till Saturday evening, officials said that 288 people had died in the accident.
Around 1,175 people were admitted to various hospitals, including private ones, out of which 793 have been discharged and 382 are undergoing treatment, Odisha government officials said at around 8 pm on Saturday night.
The bereaved relatives reached the hospital
The condition of all except two patients is stable, he said. Shocked survivors recalled their brush with death, while families in several states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, endured an agonizing wait to know the fate of their loved ones. Balasore District Hospital and Soro Hospital looked like a war zone as the injured were taken to the hospital.
Over 2,000 people gathered at the Balasore Medical College and Hospital in the night to help the injured and many of them donated blood, officials said. The hospital morgue was filled with shrouded bodies and distraught relatives of passengers but many of the victims were not identified. As the nation mourned the massive tragedy, several states and parties canceled their programs and condolences poured in from around the world.
What does the railway minister say
Expressing shock and sorrow over the tragic train accident, opposition leaders stressed the importance of the Railways prioritizing the safety of passengers, while also demanding accountability and resignation of Railway Minister Vaishnav.
Questions were raised on why the train’s anti-collision system “Kavach” was not working, with the Railways saying it was not available on the route.
On June 6, 1981, India recorded its worst train accident in Bihar, when a train plunged into the Bagmati River while crossing a bridge, killing over 750 people. In August 1995, about 350 people died in a collision between two passenger trains in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh.
ordered a high level inquiry
Officials said the national transporter has initiated a high-level inquiry into the accident, which will be headed by Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Eastern Circle. While sources had earlier said that signaling failure could be the reason behind the accident, railway officials said it was not yet clear whether the Coromandel Express entered the loop line and hit the stationary goods train or it first derailed. got off and then collided with a stationary train after entering the park. loop line.
The preliminary inquiry report, a copy of which is with PTI, said the signal was given and train number 12841 (Coromandel) was dispatched for the Up main line, but the train entered the Up loop line and collided with the goods train. Collided. on the loopline and derailed”. “Meanwhile, (train number) 12864 (Howrah Superfast) passed through the down main line and two of its coaches derailed and overturned.” Loop lines of Indian Railways built in a station area – in this case, Bahanagar Bazar station – to accommodate more trains to ease operations.
The Coromandel Express was running at 128 kmph, while the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express was running at 116 kmph. Sources said the report has been submitted to the Railway Board. These trains generally run up to a maximum speed of 130 kmph. An Indian Railways spokesperson said, “AM Chowdhary, CRS, SE Circle, will conduct an inquiry into the accident.” None of the officials talked about the possibility of sabotage.
Indian Railways spokesperson Amitabh Sharma said, “The rescue operation has been completed. Now, we are starting the restoration work. Kavach was not available on this route.”
Railways is in the process of installing “Kavach”, an anti-train collision system, across its entire network.
rescue team mobilized
About 1,200 personnel, 200 ambulances, 50 buses and 45 mobile health units worked at the accident site, officials said, adding that the tragedy was exacerbated by the multiple tracks passing through the embanked area. Army contingents including engineering and medical personnel were rushed from Barrackpore and Panagarh in West Bengal. A defense official said on Saturday that two Mi-17 helicopters have been pressed into service to evacuate the injured passengers. A railway official said the engine driver and guard of the two passenger trains were injured and are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
The engine driver and the guard of the goods train had a narrow escape, the official said. Officials said that policemen and local people are voluntarily donating blood at Balasore District Hospital and other hospitals during the night.
Over 2,000 people gathered at the Balasore Medical College and Hospital on Friday night to help the injured and many also donated blood, officials said.
Many bodies at the morgue were unidentified as relatives were yet to make their way to the city with several train services canceled or delayed due to the accident on a major railway trunk route. Around 90 trains were cancelled, mostly in Southern and South Eastern Railway zones, while 46 were diverted and 11 were short-terminated.
The injured have been taken to Balasore, Soro, Bhadrak, Jajpur hospitals and SCB Medical College in Cuttack. “There were injured people who had big cuts on their faces and bodies and fractures on their limbs and dismembered body parts. We gave them water and bedsheets from our coaches to make makeshift bandages to wrap their wounds so that the bleeding May be.” Stop it,” said Anubhav Das, a Ph.D. scholar returning home to Cuttack on the Coromandel Express.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that doctors from AIIMS-Bhubaneswar have been sent to Balasore and Cuttack in Odisha to assist in relief work at the train accident site.
Taking to Twitter, Mandaviya said, “Two teams of doctors from AIIMS-Bhubaneswar have been sent to Balasore and Cuttack to assist in the relief work at the rail accident site in Odisha.”
“We are providing all necessary help and medical aid to the victims of the tragic train accident to save precious lives,” he added.
Leaders visited the accident site, announced compensation
Vaishnav reached the accident site this morning and announced a high-level inquiry into the incident. Hours later, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited the spot to take stock of the situation. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the accident site. “This is the biggest train accident of this century and it should be properly investigated. There must be something behind it. The truth should come out. Why doesn’t the anti-collision system work?” Banerjee, who is a former railways minister, said.
The Prime Minister said that it is not possible to bring back those killed in the incident, but the government stands firmly with their families. “No stone will be left unturned to provide all possible medical assistance to the injured,” Modi said. He lauded the efforts of the Odisha government in the rescue and relief operations and appreciated the local people who donated blood in large numbers and helped the injured.
Railways has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries. Modi has announced an additional ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Other states have also announced assistance. Opposition Congress said the “horrific” train accident in Odisha reinforces why safety should always be the foremost priority in the functioning of the rail network.
(with inputs from agencies)