Odisha train accident | 'Signalling issue' behind derailment of Coromandel Express — Here's what railways, cops tell us

Treatment of over 1,175 injured people in the Odisha triple train accident is still ongoing as rescue operations draw to a close. As the death toll reaches 290, railway and police sources on Saturday confirmed to CNBC-TV18 that a signalling issue potentially caused the derailment of the Coromandel Express, which led to the triple train accident.

This was further confirmed by Railway Board Member Varma Sinha in a press conference on Sunday afternoon.

Notably, CNBC-TV18 has earlier mentioned that human error may have led to wrong signals being given to the Coromandel express, which landed up on the same track as the stationery goods train, which was on the loop line. A loop line is generally an additional line on a railway station where slower moving trains are stationed to give way for express trains trailing them on the same line.

The Commissioner for Railway Safety visited the site of the accident and called for all reports on the electronic circuits. A change in the electronic interlocking resulted in the accident, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

An interlocking system refers to a safety mechanism that ensures the safe and efficient operation of train movements at railway junctions, stations, and signalling points.

As the tragedy triggered a debate over the Kavach anti-collision system, the Congress demanded the resignation of the railway minister and asked when will the Modi government implement the much-hyped system nationwide, after testing.

Vaishnaw maintained that the train crash had nothing to do with the Kavach system. The change that was done to electronic interlocking which led to the accident has been identified, Vaishnaw, who has been camping at the site of the train accident along with Union Minister Dharmendar Pradhan, said.

He said the issue is of electric point machine, a vital device for railway signalling, and electronic interlocking. "The setting of the point machine was changed. How and why it was done will be revealed in the probe report," he told news agency PTI.

Earlier, Ministry of Railways, in a tweet, said that restoration work is ongoing at Warfooting at train accident site in Balasore, Odisha with 1000+ manpower working tirelessly.

"At present, more than 7 poclain machines, 2 accident relief trains, 3-4 railway and road cranes have been deployed for early restoration," it said.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefing him on the latest situation. The chief minister told the prime minister that every possible action was being taken to save the injured lives.

Out of the 1,175 patients admitted across various hospitals, 793 have been discharged, he updated. Currently, 382 passengers are undergoing treatment in various government and private hospitals, Patnaik said.