Odisha Train Derailment: Rly Safety Commissioner Begins Probe

Bhubaneswar: A four-member team led by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (South Eastern Circle), Abhai Kumar Rai, on Saturday began an inquiry into the Mumbai-Bhubaneswar Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) Express derailment.

The team will conduct the investigation in three phases. “We will look into all possible angles such as speed, security measures and visibility conditions on the day of the accident,” Rai said.

Asked if fog was the main culprit behind the accident, he replied that the matter is under investigation and nothing can be stated clearly as of now.

He said, “Based on prima facie evidence, East Coast Railways has suspended four Railway officials. Preliminary report will be submitted after a month and then action, if any, will be taken.”

Rai further said that the lessons learnt from the accident report will be used to make sure such incidents do not happen in future.

Echoing the commissioner, Chief Safety Officer of of ECoR Sudhanshu Sekhar Mishra said, “An unbiased inquiry will be conducted and all angles will be investigated. Also, we request all members of the society to come forward if they have any viable information in relation to the accident.”

Mishra also denied charges of delayed attention to patients and said that several Railway and state government officials had reached the accident site on time and made sure that all the injured got timely treatment. “Even the patients have voiced the same,” he said.

On Friday, Rai accompanied by Mishra had travelled twice between Salagaon and Nergundi stations in a railway tower car during heavy fog conditions around 5.30 am.

He also went to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and met the injured passengers.

Notably, the LTT Express had hit a stationary goods train between Salagaon and Nergundi railway stations near Cuttack on Friday morning. At least 20 passengers were injured in the accident.