Page 2 - Train Collision

Triple train crash: CRS submits report to railways, CBI also investigating

The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) probing the triple-train accident in Odisha's Balasore has submitted its report to the Railway Board, sources said on Thursday. The contents of the report could not be immediately ascertained. Senior Railway Board officials refused to comment on the report's findings. On June 2, three trains collided in Balasore district, claiming more than 280 lives and injuring over 1,000 people. The Coromandel Express entered the passing loop instead of the main line near Bahanaga Bazar railway station at full speed and collided with a stationary goods train. Apart from a CRS probe, the CBI is also investigating the tragic incident. Since the accident, the Railways has transferred several top officials of the South Eastern Railway under whose jurisdiction the tragedy occurred. Initial probe had suggested a signalling interference, either by negligence or by intent as the probable cause of the accident.

Two goods trains collide at Onda railway station in West Bengal's Bankura

The reason for the accident and how both trains collided will be clear only after an investigation, said Dibakar Majhi Safety Officer

Rs 2 cr announced for development of villages near Odisha accident site

Vaishnaw announced Rs 1 crore from his MP local area development (LAD) fund and another Rs 1 crore from Railways funds for the development of Bahanaga village and the hospital there

Triple train tragedy: Odisha govt's quick action saved 1200 lives

The locals of Bahanga area are the first ones who responded to the accident and started a massive rescue operation without waiting for anyone

Balasore train tragedy: School building which served as mortuary demolished

"Parents and children have refused to come to Bahanaga High School citing that dead bodies were kept there. The District Magistrate visited yesterday. This is all a superstition"

Up Coromandel Express leaves Shalimar 5 days after Balasore accident

: Five days after the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express met with an accident in Odisha's Balasore killing 288 people, the Up train chugged off from Shalimar station here at 3.25pm on Wednesday, five minutes behind the scheduled departure time. As soon as the train pulled in on platform 2, there was a mad scramble to get into the general compartment and soon every nook and cranny of the two general second class coaches got filled up with people and their luggage. Ranjit Mondal, whose son has been missing since the June 2 accident, boarded the train to go to Bhubaneswar to look for his son again. Mondal from Sandeshkhali said his 18-year-old son Dipankar had boarded the ill-fated train with his friends to look for a job in Chennai. His phone has been ringing since the accident but no one is picking it up. I spoke to him minutes before the accident. He is yet to be tracked and I decided to look for him again, he said. Swati Chamoli, who is also travelling in the train, said, I'm ..

Headlines management: Cong slams govt for seeking CBI probe into rail crash

The Congress on Tuesday slammed the government over the Railways seeking a CBI probe into the Odisha railway tragedy, and termed the move as headlines management. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced on Sunday evening that a CBI probe had been recommended into the accident. Slamming the government, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Even before the Commissioner of Railway Safety has submitted his report on Balasore train disaster, a CBI inquiry is announced." This is nothing but headlines management having failed to meet deadlines, he said on Twitter. Ramesh also raised the issue of the 2016 Kanpur rail accident in which 150 lives were lost, and noted that the NIA has is yet to come out with its report. "Ab yeh Chronology yaad kijiye 1. Nov 20, 2016: Indore-Patna Express derails near Kanpur. Over 150 people lose their lives. 2. Jan 23, 2017: Then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu writes to Union Home Minister asking for NIA probe into this accident. "3. Feb

They talked about 'Kavach' but it's not there: Raut on Odisha train tragedy

He pointed out the resignations of Madhavrao Scindia and Lal Bahadur Shastri from Railway ministerships when major train tragedies happened during their respective tenures

CBI probe into train crash a diversionary tactic: Ex-Rail Min Pawan Bansal

Rahul Gandhi also said the Congress did not blame the British for the train accidents that took place during its rule but the minister took the responsibility

Odisha train accident: Injured Coromandel Express driver, assistant stable

The condition of injured engine driver Gunanidhi Mohanty and his assistant Hajari Behera, who are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, is stable, officials said. Both were rescued from the Coromandel Express that derailed near Bahanaga Bazar Station on June 2 that had claimed 275 lives and left around 1,200 injured. Both the drivers are stable. While Mohanty was taken out of the ICU on Monday, Behera is awaiting a head surgery, South Eastern Railway (SER) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Aditya Choudhury told a television channel. Families of both the drivers have appealed to all for privacy and allow them to recover physically and mentally. They claimed that the drivers could not be blamed for the mishap as they operated the locomotive as per rules. Earlier, the Railway Ministry had apparently given clean chit to both of them. The Commissioner Railway Safety, SER Circle, which began its inquiry into the accident on Monday, will record the statements of both of them aft

CBI meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents: Kharge to PM Modi

A day after the Railways sought a CBI probe into the Odisha train tragedy, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the probe agency is meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents, and cannot fix accountability for technical, institutional and political failures. Kharge also said "all the empty safety claims" of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have now been "exposed" and the government must bring to light the real reasons that caused this grave accident, which he described as one of the worst in Indian history. In his four-page letter to Modi, the Congress chief said there is serious concern among the common passengers about the deterioration in safety of railways and therefore, it is incumbent upon the government to ascertain and bring to light the real reasons that caused this grave accident. He alleged that instead of focusing on strengthening the railways at the basic level only "superficial touch up is being done to

Odisha train accident: NDRF ends rescue operation, withdraws all 9 teams

The National Disaster Response Force on Monday ended its rescue operation with the withdrawal of all its nine teams from the triple train accident site in Odisha's Balasore district that has claimed at least 275 lives, officials said. The force rescued 44 victims and retrieved 121 bodies from the spot since the teams were deployed after the accident on June 2, they said. The operation has ended and all nine teams have now been withdrawn as there are no live or dead victims present at the accident site near the Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station. Eight teams were relieved on Sunday, while one was drawn out on Monday, they said. The nine teams had joined the personnel of state disaster forces and the local administration to undertake rescue and relief operations after they were sent in from Balasore, Mundali (Cuttack district) and Kolkata. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers carried heavy plasma and gas cutters, lifting pads, stretchers, canine teams and other equipment

Sri Lankan President expresses sorrow over tragic train collision in Odisha

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the people and the government of India following the tragic train accident in Odisha that killed around 275 people. Wickremesinghe extended his condolences to the Government of India and the bereaved families who have suffered an unimaginable loss, Daily Mirror Newspaper reported on Sunday. Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the president said the thoughts and prayers of Sri Lanka were with the families of the victims and hoped that they would find the strength and resilience to overcome their grief. Several world leaders including US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emanuel Macron have expressed their condolences to the families and the Government of India over one of the country's worst train accidents that also left 1,175 persons injured. The Coromandel Express rammed into a stationar

Balasore accident: Railway cancels 123 trains, diverts 56, reschedules 14

The railways has cancelled 123 trains, diverted 56, short-terminated 10 and rescheduled 14 trains due to the accident in Odisha in which 275 people were killed. These trains include those with journey commencing from June 3 to June 7. The cancelled trains include Sealdah-Puri Duronto, Howrah-Chennai Mail, Kanyakumari-Howrah Express, Shalimar Express, Tirupati Weekly Superfast Express, SMVT-Bengaluru Superfast Express, Santraganchi AC Superfast, Purulia-Villupuram. The diverted trains include Tambaram-New Tinsukhia Express, New Delhi-Puri Express, Purushottam Express and Digha to Visakhapatnam Superfast Express. Trains that have been short-terminated include Falaknuma Express, Baghajatin Express, Balasore-Bhubaneshwar Express, and Jaleswar-Puri MEMU. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that normal train services are likely to be restored by Wednesday. The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train ..

Train crash: 260 currently undergoing treatment in Odisha hospitals

Altogether 260 people, who were injured in the triple train accident in Balasore, are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals across Odisha, while around 900 have been discharged so far, health department officials said on Sunday. Three Union ministers - Ashwini Vaishnaw, Mansukh Mandaviya and Dharmendra Pradhan - visited the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where 202 injured people have been admitted, an official of the health facility said. "Across the state, around 900 patients, out of 1,175 injured passengers in the train accident, have been discharged. A total of 260 injured are currently undergoing treatment in different hospitals, including private ones, in Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Soro and Jajpur. "All are stable except one whose condition is stated to be critical," an official of the health department said. At least 202 people injured in the accident have been admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Dr Bhubananda ...

Surprising that no one in govt took responsibility: Tejashwi on train crash

Alleging that the train crash in Odisha happened due to sheer negligence, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday said it was quite surprising that even after such a major accident, nobody in the government has taken any responsibility. Speaking to reporters, Yadav claimed the accident was a total failure of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "There is no doubt that the accident took place due to sheer negligence of the railways. They are not bothered about the safety of the passengers. It is quite surprising that even after such a major accident, nobody in the government has taken any responsibility," he said. "A thorough investigation must be ordered and strict action should be taken against those responsible. After this tragic incident, PM Modi should have held a press conference and clarified things. The incident is a total failure of the Government of India, the railway minister, and the PM," he added. The Centre did no ...

Train crash: Contact to be established with 6 persons, says TN govt

In the Odisha train accident, people hailing from Tamil Nadu were not affected and out of the eight people who could not be contacted, two of them have been traced and they were safe, Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said here on Sunday. On his arrival following a visit to Odisha along with Transport Minister SS Sivasankar to coordinate rescue activities, Udhayanidhi said he and his Cabinet colleague visited hospitals, mortuary, call centre for rescue initiatives. He held discussions with Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena and senior officials. Udhayanidhi said no one from TN was admitted in hospitals and people from the State were unaffected he said quoting latest official information. At the call centre set up by the Odisha authorities, no calls were received seeking information on TN passengers, he said. As regards eight Tamil Nadu people with whom contact could not be established, he said authorities have traced and spoken to two men --Narakanigopi an

Stop politicising train crash: BJP on demand for Vaishnaw's resignation

The BJP on Sunday asked opposition parties to not politicise the Balasore train accident and said the track record of the Congress-led UPA government's railway ministers was nothing short of a disaster. BJP IT department head Amit Malviya shared on Twitter what he said were the details of accidents under these ministers and added such "worthies" are the ones demanding the resignation of the "most qualified" railway minister the country has had in seven and half decades. The Congress had earlier demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he should accept part of the responsibility for creating an all is well facade even as the critical infrastructure of the Indian Railways "languishes in neglect". Hitting back, Malviya said, "Stop politicising the unfortunate Balasore tragedy because track record of railway ministers, under the UPA, to put it mildly, was nothing short of disaster. Let us focus on relief and rescue .

Odisha train tragedy: TN yet to get info on 8 of 127 passengers from state

The state government communique called upon the relatives of these missing persons to contact the state helpline numbers: 1070, 9445869843

Virtual clean chit to Coromandel Express driver, was not over-speeding

The railways on Sunday said the Coromandel Express was "not over-speeding" and received the green signal to enter a loop line on which a goods train was stationary, virtually clearing its driver of any role behind the accident that killed 288 people in Odisha's Balasore district. Two key officials of the Railway Board -- Principal Executive Director of Signalling Sandeep Mathur and Member of Operation and Business Development Jaya Varma Sinha -- explained how the accident might have occurred. They described the functioning of the interlocking system which prima facie seemed to have been part of the problem which led to the accident, in which at least 288 people were killed. Sinha said the direction, route and signal were set for the Coromandel Express. "Green signal means that in every way the driver knows that his path ahead is clear and he can go forward with his permitted maximum speed. The permitted speed at this section was 130 kmph and he was running his train at 128 kmph whi