Indian authorities on June 4 are investigating to determine the cause of a catastrophic accident involving three trains, killing at least 288 people and injuring more than 850.
On the evening of June 3, Indian authorities confirmed that the rescue operation after the most serious railway accident in 20 years had ended.
The death toll has now risen to 288, with more than 850 injured. An official from the Balasore Field Rescue Command Center (Odisha state) announced that the rescue operation had ended and "all the bodies and injured passengers have been removed from the accident site".
The bodies of all the victims have been removed from the accident site. Debris from three trains has been piled up at the site near Balasore city in the eastern state of Odisha.
An Indian railway official has revealed that faulty track signals may have caused a collision of three trains.
"The Coromandel Express (Shalimar - Chennai route) on the evening of June 2 was supposed to enter the main track. However, the signal was switched on to guide the train onto the side track, causing it to hit the goods train parked there," said KS Anand, Director of Communications of the South Eastern Railway.
After colliding with the freight train, several carriages of the Coromandel train overturned and blocked two adjacent tracks, derailing the Howrah Express (Bengaluru-Howrah route) as it approached at a speed of 116 km/h.
Two passenger trains carrying more than 2,000 people.
New developments have emerged suggesting that the Coromandel was the first ship to trigger the chain of events, as opposed to the Howrah, which was initially believed to have been the vessel.
According to the India Express, railway officials gave the green light for the Coromandel to enter the main track. However, the signal was turned off for unknown reasons.
The Indian Railway Safety Board has not yet completed its investigation into whether the signal was faulty, whether there was negligence on the part of the signal operator or the train driver.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the scene to oversee the rescue operation. "This is a very serious incident and anyone found guilty will be severely punished," Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi has directed the government to ensure support to the injured and their families. He also called for special attention to the bereaved families and for the affected people to continue receiving the support they need.
India has the world's fourth-largest rail network, with a total length of more than 126,000km. However, the system has been plagued by poor maintenance and deteriorating infrastructure. In 2021, India recorded nearly 18,000 rail accidents, killing more than 16,400 people.
Most train accidents in India are due to human error or outdated signaling equipment.
T.LE (compiled from VNA/Vietnam+)
Source link
![[Maritime News] Container shipping faces overcapacity that will last until 2028](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/402x226/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/7/30/6d35cbc6b0f643fd97f8aa2e9bc87aea)
Comment (0)