A 10-member CBI team reached the site of train accident in Odisha’s Balasore on Tuesday as part of its investigations into the tragedy that took place on June 2 and resulted in death of more than 275 people.
The investigation into the horrific Odisha railway accident, which resulted in the deaths of more than 275 persons and over 1000 injuries, was taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation. DRM ECR Rinkesh Roy in Bhubaneswar informed the sources that a CBI team has arrived at the accident scene in Balasore and investigation is underway.
The CBI is probing the accident that involved two passenger and a goods train. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said on Sunday that the Railway Board had recommended a CBI probe into the tragic accident. The minister had also said that the accident occurred due to a change in electronic interlocking.
Electronic interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that facilitates safe movement of a train through an arrangement of tracks.
The aim of this system is that no train gets the signal to proceed unless the route is safe.
The Railways is also conducting a probe into the accident.
According to DRM ECR Rinkesh Roy in Bhubaneswar, out of 278 people who died in the accident, 101 bodies are yet to be identified. “About 1,100 people were injured in the #BalasoreTrainAccident, out of which about 900 people were discharged after treatment. Around 200 people are being treated in various hospitals in the state, Rinkesh Roy told the sources.
On Sunday, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the CBI had been nominated by the Railway Board to investigate the terrible train disaster.
While talking to the media, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Rescue operation was completed and restoration work is underway. The work related to the track is done and overhead wiring work is going on. Patients are being treated at hospitals. Along with rescue operation, the restoration work was also started,” as per report.
Speaking to the sources, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “This is a different issue. It is about a point machine, electronic interlocking. The change that occurred during electronic interlocking, the accident happened due to that. Whoever did it and how it happened will be found out after proper investigation.
Ashwini Vaihsnaw further said, “This is a different issue. It is about point machine, electronic interlocking. The change that occurred during electronic interlocking, the accident happened due to that. Whoever did it and how it happened will be found out after proper investigation.”
Ashwini Vaishnaw who took stock of the restoration work at the Balasore train accident site in Odisha on Sunday said that the down main line restored. “Down main line made fit at 12:05 hrs today,” Railways Minister Vaishnaw tweeted.
The three-way accident involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and a goods trains on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station in the Balasore district.