Vizag: The tragic train crash that occurred in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday, resulting in the loss of at least 275 lives and leaving over 1,000 injured, has been attributed to a technical glitch, according to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Addressing the media, Minister Vaishnaw confirmed that the root cause of the accident was related to the point machine and electronic interlocking system.
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The electronic interlocking system, which is designed to prevent conflicting movements between trains, experienced a malfunction, leading to a fatal incident.
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“The accident occurred due to the change that took place during electronic interlocking, specifically concerning the point machine. We will investigate how and who was responsible for the change,” he stated.
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The collision involved three trains: the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train.
The incident took place near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, with the passenger trains reportedly carrying around 2,500 passengers at the time.
Minister Vaishnaw asserted that the root cause of the horrific accident and those responsible for it have been identified, although he refrained from providing further details until the official report is released.
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He also refuted claims that the accident could have been prevented by the anti-collision system “Kavach,” dismissing allegations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Restoration efforts are currently underway, with tracks already laid on one of the main lines.
The minister expects full operational capacity to be restored to the affected tracks by Wednesday, with over 1,000 personnel engaged in the restoration process.
Numerous heavy machines, Accident Relief Trains, railway and road cranes have been deployed to assist in the efforts.
The railway ministry has already provided compensation to the families of approximately 300 victims of the accident.
Special trains have been arranged from various cities, including Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ranchi, and Kolkata, to facilitate the transportation of patients back to their homes after treatment.