Hyderabad: The entire India woke up to one of the deadliest train mishaps in Odisha's Balasore at the Bahanaga Bazar railway station where the Coromandel Express plunged full speed into the passing loop rather than the main line, crashing with a freight train. The Coromandel Express had 21 coaches that derailed due to its high speed, and three of those coaches collided with the approaching SMVT Bengaluru–Howrah Superfast Express on the adjacent track. At least 296 people lost their lives in the incident and more than 1000 were severely injured.
Deadly Railway Mishap:
The mishap took place on June 2, 2023. The Shalimar-Howrah Coromandel Express (12841) derailed at Bahanaga station at approximately 6:51 pm, according to information provided by the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Kharagpur. Shortly after, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast (12864) train derailed at the same location at approximately 6:55 pm. Several trains were diverted after the mishap. After receiving the news, hundreds of local youths lined up in hospitals to donate blood for the injured victims.
West Bengal CM visits mishap site:
On June 3, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid a visit to the location. She boarded a special helicopter that departed from a helipad in the Howrah district of Dumurjala and headed for Balasore. At the scene of the accident, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee got into a verbal duet while speaking with the media. Mamata claimed to have learned that there may have been more than 500 people killed in the train accident. Vaishaw, who was standing next to her, stepped in right away and stated, "According to data from the Odisha government, 238 people have died."
Dalai Lama mourns loss of lives:
Dalai Lama, a Tibetan spiritual on the same day mourned the loss of several lives in the Odisha train tragedy. In a letter to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, he said, "I offer my condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones and pray for all those who have been injured and others affected by this tragedy,"
Preliminary investigations have shown that, just ahead of the Bahanagar Bazar station, the Coromandel Express train involved in the horrifying rail disaster in Odisha entered the loop line and collided with a goods train that was parked there rather than the main line. Officials also stated that “Kavach” was not available on the route.
What is Kavach?
Train collisions are primarily caused by loco pilots jumping signals (Signal Passed at Danger, or SPAD). Kavach alerts when this occurs. When it detects another train on the same line within a predetermined distance, the system can automatically notify the loco pilot, apply the brakes, and stop the train.
What does the preliminary probe reveal?
A copy of the preliminary probe report was obtained by PTI. It stated that after train number 12841, which was given the all-clear to proceed on the up main line, entered the loop line, raced alongside the goods train, and derailed. According to the report, two of the coaches on train number 12864 derailed and capsized as it passed through the main line in the interim. After restoration work, the death toll rose to 288 and the Odisha government decided to bring about 160 bodies of victims to Bhubaneswar for better preservation and to facilitate smooth identification by the family members of the deceased.
Rescue operation completed:
On June 4 the entire rescue operation was completed and track restoration was completed by night, the news was confirmed by Jena. On the other hand, PM Modi expressed gratitude to the world leaders for their condolence message, saying that he was “deeply moved” by their kind words. Several world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and French President Emanuel Macron among others have condoled the tragic accident.
Railways Minister says people responsible for the mishap identified:
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that the root cause of the tragic train mishap has been ascertained. He also informed them that they had identified the people responsible for it. Vaishnaw clarified that the main cause of the mishap was a change in electronic interlocking. He further stated that the mishap had nothing to do with Kavach. The Loco pilot and the Assistant Loco pilot were treated in isolation due to security reasons. Three days after the tragic incident, the family members from neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Bihar continued to search for their family members. Some of the close relatives were unable to find them at the accident spot.
Railway Board recommends CBI probe:
Later, the Railway Board recommended a CBI probe into the matter. Meanwhile, the Odisha government faced its biggest challenge in identifying over 150 unidentified preserved dead bodies as the bodies were disfigured beyond recognition. Therefore, Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena informed that the last rites of the unclaimed bodies will be performed after collecting their DNAs and fingerprints. On June 5, almost 51 hours after the deadliest mishap, the first train started its journey on the route following the completion of restoration work.
Around 10.40 p.m., a coal-laden goods train from Vizag port began its journey to the Rourkela Steel plant. When the services were resumed, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stayed in the area. The goods train travelled on the same track as the fatal Bangalore-Howrah train accident that occurred on June 2. On June 6, The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) started its probe. A 10-member CBI team along with some Central Forensic members reached the spot at Bahanaga station and visited the main line and loop line to carry out the investigation. Some team members also visited the signal room and discussed it with the officials there. On June 7, CBI seized the railway staff's mobile phones and examined their call records, WhatsApp calls, and social media usage during its investigation.
Ministry of Railways starts disbursing compensation:
On June 9, the Ministry of Railways disbursed compensation of Rs 22.66 crore so far to the families of 661 victims. On June 11, A group of prominent civil society members, including retired judges, bureaucrats, and veterans, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Odisha train tragedy, raising concerns over efforts to "undermine" India's national security and progress. The letter was signed by 270 signatories. Some of them were Former Rajasthan High Court chief justice Anil Deo Singh, former Gujarat High Court judge S M Soni, former Uttar Pradesh DGP Vikram Singh, former Maharashtra DGP Praveen Dixit, former J&K police chief S P Vaid, and former CBI director Nageshwar Rao.
Former defence secretary and secretary general Rajya Sabha Yogendra Narain, former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi, and former NIA director Yogesh Chander Modi were also among the signatories. On June 12, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) picked up a station master, a technician, and another employee of the Indian Railways. The trio was taken to an undisclosed place for interrogation. On June 16, the death toll rose to 290 with the death of an injured person.
More bodies identified through DNA tests:
On June 30, 29 more bodies were identified through DNA tests preserved at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and were handed over to their families.
CBI arrests three people:
The CBI made three arrests on July 7. The organisation detained Three people who were employed in the Balasore district were detained by the agency: Technician Pappu Kumar, Section Engineer Mohammed Amir Khan, and Senior Section Engineer (signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta. The three were arrested under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), they said. The CBI officials brought the accused to the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Following their medical examination, they were brought to the Special CBI Court.
The CBI officials reportedly requested a seven-day remand while presenting the accused to the court. The CBI was placed under remand for five days by the Special Court in Bhubaneswar later that evening. Intensifying the probe, CBI officials questioned the three suspects who had been taken into custody at the Chandaka Police Station on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. On July 9, the CBI summoned the station master to appear at the CBI office in Bhubaneswar. The next day, the team summoned two more Indian railways employees and interrogated them in connection with the horrific accident.
On July 11, the CBI requested an additional five days of remand for the three accused in the Bahanaga train accident after the initial five-day period ended. The central probe agency was then granted permission by the court to place the accused under remand for an additional four days. Following the end of their remand, the accused—Senior Section Engineer (signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta, Section Engineer Mohammed Amir Khan, and Technician Pappu Kumar were sent to court. However, bail was requested by Arun Kumar Mahanta and Mohammed Amir Khan, two of the three accused. The final death count after two months was 295.
Cremation of unclaimed bodies:
On October 11, four months after the tragic incident, the cremation of unclaimed 28 bodies of the victims was completed by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). The process was completed around 8 am. This triple-train accident remains one of the deadliest train accidents in the world.
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