As the death toll reaches 275, the Indian Railways has raised suspicions of sabotage and tampering of the electronic interlocking system as the potential cause behind the triple train accident in Odisha. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the incident while emphasising that the "root cause" and those responsible for this "criminal act" have been identified.
Top railway officials in New Delhi have pointed towards a possible "signalling interference" that could have led to the accident.
Jaya Verma Sinha, a member of operations and business development at the Railway Board, acknowledged the fail-safe nature of the
electronic interlocking system but did not dismiss the possibility of external intervention. She was speaking at a press briefing on Sunday afternoon, two days after the collision.
According to Sinha, the incident may have occurred due to a change made in the electronic interlocking and point machine. She explained that the system is designed to turn all signals red and halt train operations in the event of a failure. However, the
signalling system was found to be faulty, raising concerns of intentional tampering or sabotage.
While officials have refrained from disclosing specific findings, they have ruled out driver error and system malfunction. The Coromandel Express train driver was given a clean chit, with authorities stating that he had the green signal to proceed and was not exceeding the speed limit.
However, a preliminary report indicated that the Coromandel Express had entered the loop line where a stationary goods train was parked, suggesting the possibility of tampering with the signals.
The triple train collision involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train. The
accident occurred near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district. Approximately 275 people lost their lives, and around 1,175 individuals sustained injuries.
Railway officials have also highlighted the limitations of the anti-collision technology called Kavach, stating that it could not have prevented the accident due to the high speed of the Coromandel Express and its distance from the stationary goods train.
As investigations continue, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has concluded the on-site inspection and is expected to gather witness statements during the inquiry on Monday and Tuesday.
The CRS will hold a statutory enquiry at the South Institute in Kharagpur, providing an opportunity for rail users, local residents, and other concerned parties to provide relevant information related to the accident case.
