Odisha crash: Vaishnaw promises probe as rescuers race against time, toll mounts

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday promised a “high level” probe into the train crash near Odisha’s Balasore as he visited the scene while rescuers raced against time and families of the passengers desperately looked for their missing kin.

The toll from the tragedy rose to 290 while over 900 passengers have been injured in the accident that involved two superfast trains and an iron ore-laden goods train. The toll was likely to rise as two general bogies of the Bengalure-Howrah Superfast Express were thrown into a ditch. Dozens of bodies are believed to be trapped in the bogies.

“A detailed high-level probe would be conducted and the railway safety commissioner would also do an independent inquiry. Right now, the focus is on rescue and relief operations,” said Vaishnaw.

He visited the site as the teams of the National Disaster Response Force, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, state fire services, and the army continued to rescue people trapped in the upturned bogies.

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An army officer said they fear 40-50 more bodies were trapped inside the two coaches that fell into the ditch.

Desperate relatives were looking for the missing passengers as leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi were expected to visit the accident spot.

They rushed to schools as well as hospitals near the accident spot hoping their relatives will not be among the dead bodies kept there. Many of the bodies were disemboweled while others were decapitated or were without limbs.

Dhirendra Mohanty from Mayurbhanj was inconsolable when he saw the body of his brother Jitendra Mohanty, who was not supposed to board Kolkata-Chennai Coromandel Express, one of the trains involved in the accident, as he planned to go to Angul.

“We normally travel by bus. I do not know how he got onto Coromandel Express. After I heard that he boarded Coromandel, I came rushing to Bahanaga. What would I do with the money that the government gives? Can the money bring my brother back?”

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Most of the bodies kept at a school building were unclaimed until Saturday afternoon. Just about 16 of the 132 of them could be identified. “It’s the worst nightmare that one can think of. I hope my worst enemies never face such a day in their lives,” said an elderly man.

There was no clarity as to how one of the biggest train accidents of the last two decades happened.

Annapurna Lenka, a local resident who was sitting on the terrace of her house near the accident spot, said the moment she heard the loud sound she thought lightning had hit. “First there was a deafening sound of metals hitting each other with great force followed by sparks. There was smoke all around. Before I could realise what happened, the desperate cries of people on the train tore my heart out. I can never forget the moment,” said Lenka.

Sashikant Rout, another resident who was the first to rush to the accident spot and rescue people from the AC coaches, said he managed to get a woman out alive after breaking a glass window. He suffered injuries to his palms.

Railway officials, who visited the accident spot on Saturday morning, said the Coromandel Express derailed just ahead of a station and the bogies hit the iron ore-laden good train that standing on another line.

“The goods train was on the loop line while the Coromandel Express was given the go ahead on the main line at 7pm. However, the Coromandel Express jumped the track and the derailed engine hit the goods train from behind,” said a railway official, who did not want to be named.

He added 13 bogies including the engine piled up on the goods train as well as coiled around the tracks while wrenching the overhead electric wires. “Few derailed coaches also hit the last two general coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express throwing them off the track. It was a tragedy of unimaginable proportion.”

A retired railway official said the accident may have happened due to technical glitches and signal issues. “Though the goods train was on the loop line of the railway station as per the signal panel kept in the station manager’s office, the last few bogies of it may still be on the main line when Coromandel Express came rushing at 127 km per hour.”

He added after hitting the goods train, it is natural for the derailed coaches to pile around that hit the last few bogies of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express. A detailed probe would reveal how the accident happened.”

Anubhav Das, one of the passengers of the Coromandel Express who escaped without injuries, said the train may have derailed first and hit the goods train.