Only Coromandel Express Met With Accident; Iron-Ore Laden Goods Train Caused Huge Casualties, Says Railway

New Delhi: The Railways board said that the goods train did not derail but since it was carrying iron ore, the maximum damage of the impact was on Coromandel Express causing a huge number of deaths and injuries

Jaya Varma Sinha, Member of Operation and Business Development, Railway Board today said that the freight train did not derail but since it was carrying iron ore, the maximum impact was on Coromandel Express. Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said the revised death toll stood at 275 instead of 288.

“The goods train did not get derailed. Since the goods train was carrying iron ores, the maximum damage of the impact was on Coromandel Express. This is the reason for a huge number of deaths and injuries. The derailed bogies of Coromandel Express came on the down line, and hit the last two bogies of Yeshwantpur Express which was crossing at the speed of 126 km/h from down line,” Sinha said in a Sunday press briefing.

She added that issue with the signalling was identified as the cause of the accident as per the preliminary findings.

“We are still waiting for the detailed report from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. Only Coromandel Express met with an accident. The train was at a speed of around 128 km/h,” she said.

Sinha said that the loco pilot who sustained injuries in the accident has told that he did not jump any signal neither was he overspeeding.

“Safety is the top priority for Railways. We are making sure that the evidence does not get tampered & that any witness does not get affected. The driver of the train who sustained serious injuries said that the train moved forward only after it received a ‘Green’ signal. Neither did he jump any signal nor the train was overspeeding,” the official said.

So far, 275 people have been reported dead and 1,175 injured after three trains — Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, SMVT Bengaluru–Howrah SF Express, and a freight train — collided after Coromandel Express derailed near Bahanaga railway station in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday night.