Odisha Train Accident Updates: CBI Visits Crash Site; Panic After Smoke in Another Train in Berhampur

The Railways on Monday announced the official death toll of the Odisha three-train crash has touched 278, as three more individuals have tragically lost their lives due to their injuries. Although the state government’s revised toll remains unchanged at 275.

Khurda Road division DRM Rinkesh Ray said that apart from 278 deaths, 1,100 people were injured in the June 2 accident. On the state government’s toll remaining at 275, he said, “Figures do change with time.” The toll was earlier put at 288, which the state government revised to 275 on Sunday, claiming some bodies were counted twice.

Railway Board Chariman to Chair High-Level Meet

The chairman of the Railway Board will convene a high-level meeting with all General Managers (GMs) and Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) on Tuesday evening. This meeting is in response to the accident that occurred in Balasore, Odisha.

Smoke Detected on Secunderabad-Agartala Express in Odisha

Panic gripped passengers traveling on the Secunderabad-Agartala Express after they detected smoke in one of the coaches at Brahmapur railway station. According to initial reports, some passengers first noticed smoke in the B-5 coach and raised the alarm. Several passengers have reportedly disembarked from the train and are not willing to continue their journey onboard.

CBI Team Arrives at Balasore Crash Site

The forensic and CBI team has arrived at the Balasore crash site. The team is collecting the evidence and carrying out investigation. “Railway is providing assistance to them. All angles will be probed by CBI during the probe,” said Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, CPRO, South Eastern Railway on Balasore Train Tragedy.

101 bodies still unidentified, 55 handed over to relatives

Officials reported on Monday that despite the tragic train accident in Odisha, which left over 1000 individuals injured and resulted in the loss of at least 278 lives, there are still 101 bodies that have not been identified.

According to the Divisional Railway Manager of the Eastern Central Railways, Rinkesh Roy told ANI that currently, approximately 200 people are still being treated in various hospitals in Odisha. Among those affected by the accident, around 1,100 people were injured, with roughly 900 people discharged after receiving medical treatment.

‘Everything back to normalcy after 51 hours’: Hardeep Puri Defends Vaishnaw

Hardeep Singh Puri, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, on Monday mocked Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, for requesting the resignation of the Union Railways Minister after the Odisha train disaster. Puri went on to clarify that the Railways Minister had dedicated a significant amount of time assessing the accident location and had effectively reinstated everything within only 51 hours.

“Statements that Rahul Gandhi makes in and outside the country, often leave me baffled and worried. I reminded him about the Nellie Massacre as well….PM Modi went to visit that place. Three Union Ministers were also there. And everything went back within 51 hours. The person to whom Rahul Gandhi is asking to resign is at the tragedy site for hours,” Puri was quoted as saying to ANI.

Train Services Normal at Bahanaga Railway Station

System Flaw, Repair Work Near Accident Site or Sabotage? CBI to Probe 3 Theories

A repair work going on at a level-crossing near the accident site that disrupted the Electronic Interlocking; a deliberate manipulation with the system; a flaw or glitch in the system that was also highlighted from an accident averted in February — these are the three major theories that have emerged as a possible reason of the horrific Odisha train accident that has killed over 275 people last week. Read More

CBI Team Visits Odisha Train Accident Site, Begins Probe

A 10-member CBI team on Monday visited the Balasore train accident site and began its probe into the triple train crash, a Railway official said. ECoR’s Khurda Road division DRM Rintesh Ray said that according to his information, the CBI probe has begun but the details were not immediately known.

The Railway Board on Sunday recommended a CBI probe into the accident. Earlier, Commissioner of Railway Safety Shailesh Kumar Pathak visited the accident site where he went to the control room, signal room and signal point at Bahanaga Bazar railway station.

This apart, the Government Railway Police in Balasore has registered a case on June 3 under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Railway Act over the accident.

Mamata’s Second Odisha Visit Today

After cancelling her three-day visit to Darjeeling, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to visit Odisha again today to meet victim and handover compensation cheques.

40 Passengers May Have Been Electrocuted

A police officer, who was in charge of the rescue operation, alleged that at least 40 bodies which were recovered from the wrecked coaches had no external injury marks. He alleged that the victims may have been electrocuted by live overhead cables that fell on the compartments.

The officer’s observation is consistent with the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by Government Railway Police sub-inspector Papu Kumar Naik, which states that many passengers died due to the impact of the collision and electrocution after coming into contact with a low-tension (LT) line.

61 From Bengal Dead, 182 Missing

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also a former Railway Minister, questioned the figures, stating that 61 people from her state have died and 182 others are still missing. Roy said of the 1,100 injured, less than 200 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals.

He said that of the 278 bodies, 177 have been identified while 101 more are yet to be identified and these unclaimed bodies have been kept in six different hospitals. Roy said the Railways has deployed people in states such as Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to locate any missing person. He said the bodies will be preserved in a scientific manner.

Odisha Train Crash 100% Sabotage with Extensive Planning, Calculation: Dinesh Trivedi

Following the triple train crash in Odisha’s Balasore district on June 2, former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi was the first to mention the likelihood of sabotage. Hours after the incident he told News 18 that the “possibility of sabotage behind the accident cannot be ruled out”.

The crash, believed to be one of the worst in nature and in terms of casualties, killed 288 passengers and injured around 900. The Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train were involved in the accident.

Crash Result of ‘Deliberate Interference’ With Interlocking System

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated its investigation into the Balasore train accident, with railway officials reiterating that the crash occurred due to “deliberate interference” with the electronic interlocking system.

A CBI team reached the crash site to commence the investigation. The A CBI probe has been ordered to understand whether the derailment of Coromandel Express resulted from negligence or sabotage, among other aspects.

FIR in Train Accident Case Filed on Monday

The Government Railway Police (GRP) in Cuttack filed a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified individuals relating to the triple train crash in Odisha.

The FIR was registered under sections 153, 154 and 175 of the Railway Act, as well as sections 337, 338, 304A (non-bailable) & 34 of the Indian Penal Code, following a complaint by SI Papu Kumar Naik of Balasore GRPS.

In related news, the Railway Minister, Ashwani Vaishanw, has identified the “root cause” of the accident and the people behind the “criminal” act and has consequently requested an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the tragic train crash in Balasore.