Coromandel Express switched to wrong track minutes before crash: Report
The train crash in Odisha's Balasore on Friday might have resulted from human error since the Coromandel Express switched to the wrong track minutes before the accident, reported Hindustan Times, quoting a senior official. This was reportedly revealed in a video from the signaling control room of Railways' Kharagpur division. However, the reason behind the incident will only be identified after a thorough examination.
Train took loop line instead of main line: Official
The official said the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express took the loop line instead of the main line just after crossing Bahanagar Bazar station at about 6:55pm on Friday. It collided with a goods train parked at the loop line and derailed on the main line. Then, the Howrah-bound Yashwantnagar Express coming from the opposite side crashed into the Coromandel Express, the official added.
Similar incident occurred in UP in 1995: Official
The railways official further told the publication that the actual cause of the accident would be found in the detailed inquiry that the railway board has ordered. He added that a similar incident occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad in 1995, where the collision between three trains killed 350 people. Meanwhile, the death toll in the Odisha train accident rose to nearly 290.
