Balasore Train Tragedy: "Sabotage Theory" Floated To Avoid Accountability, Says Congress Leader

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday stepped up his party’s attack on the government, saying that the “sabotage theory” floated after the Balasore train accident was to “escape accountability”.

“It is clear that the sabotage theory floated by the Prime Minister and Railway Minister is to escape accountability and manage the headlines. The Commissioner of Rail Safety has concluded that severe shortcomings in procedures and systems relating to rail safety resulted in the Balasore train disaster,” Jairam Ramesh said in a post on Twitter, citing a news report on the findings of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) AM Chowdhary.

“But who is listening? Inaugurations of Vande Bharat trains continue... a horrific tragedy caused by misplaced priorities of the Modi government,” he stated further.

At least 293 people died in the accident that took place after the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express rammed into an iron ore-laden goods train on the loop line near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore on June 2.

In the days after the accident, the railways spoke about the possibility of sabotage and possible tampering with the electronic interlocking system, the nerve-centre of the Indian Railways’ signalling apparatus.

The CRS, however, blamed faulty signalling due to two botched repair works and flagged lapses at multiple levels in the signalling and telecommunication (S&T) department, but indicated the deadliest train accident in two decades could have been averted if past red flags were reported.

The report also concluded that the June 2 tragedy could have potentially been avoided had the repeated glitches with the local signalling system been flagged, which could have led the signalling and track staff to trace the mistake that was made in 2018, reported Hindustan Times.

“The rear-collision (of Coromandel Express) was due to the lapses in the signalling-circuit-alteration carried out… in the past and during the execution of the signalling work related to replacement of electric lifting barrier for level crossing gate number 94 at the station,” said the report.

Balasore Train Tragedy

On June 2, 2023 a tragic train collision unfolded in the Balasore district of Odisha, located in eastern India. The incident involved three trains: the Coromandel Express, the SMVT Bengaluru–Howrah Superfast Express, and a stationary goods train. Unfortunately, due to a critical error, the Coromandel Express entered the passing loop instead of the main line near Bahanaga Bazar railway station. This mistake led to a high-speed collision with the goods train.

As a result of the collision, 21 coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed, with three of them colliding with the approaching Bengaluru–Howrah Express on the adjacent track. The devastating impact claimed the lives of 292 people, and another 1,175 individuals suffered injuries. This incident stands as India's deadliest railway crash since the Firozabad rail collision in 1995 and is considered one of the most catastrophic rail disasters globally since the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck.

The sequence of events unfolded when the 12841 Coromandel Express, traveling from Shalimar in Howrah, West Bengal, to MGR Chennai Central in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, was operating on the up main line at Bahanaga Bazar railway station. At the same time, the 12864 Bengaluru–Howrah Express was heading in the opposite direction from SMVT Bengaluru in Bangalore, Karnataka, to Howrah on the adjacent down main line. Both trains, not scheduled to stop at the station, received a green signal indicating it was safe to proceed along the main line, and they were traveling at their maximum permitted speed of 128 km/h (80 mph).

Around 19:00 IST (13:30 GMT), the Coromandel Express, expected to continue straight on the up main line, was mistakenly directed to the parallel up loop line at full speed. This led to a collision with the stationary goods train carrying iron ore. The impact was severe, causing 21 coaches of the Coromandel Express to derail from the main line. However, the goods train remained on the tracks without derailing or moving.

Tragically, three of the derailed coaches from the Coromandel Express veered into the adjacent track, striking the rear end of the Bengaluru–Howrah Express as it passed through the station. Two unreserved coaches and the brake van of the Bengaluru–Howrah Express were derailed. Fortunately, no fatalities or injuries were reported among the reserved compartments of the Bengaluru–Howrah Express. The remaining portion of the train, including the engine and 20 coaches, continued its journey to Balasore, where a damaged coach was detached. The remaining 19 coaches proceeded to their destination in Howrah.

Also Read: Kolkata College Draws Flak After Denying Admission To Non-English Medium Students