Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeGlobalTragedy in India: what caused the double train crash that killed 275...

Tragedy in India: what caused the double train crash that killed 275 people

The Indian government released the first conclusions of the investigation. The message of Pope Francis.

Investigations continue into the double wreck and train derailment in eastern India which caused 275 deaths and left hundreds of people injured.

The preliminary investigation carried out by the Indian government indicates this Sunday that the tragedy was caused “by an error in the electronic signaling system”.

Authorities are still working at the scene to clear the twisted wreckage of the two passenger trains that derailed Friday night in the Balasore district of the eastern state of Odisha.




Hundreds injured and 275 deaths after Friday’s train accident in India. Photo: EFE

In this sense, official sources from Odisha revealed that so far the official death toll amounts to 275 people.

Through a statement, and after a high-level state official said that there were more than 300 deaths this Sunday morning, official sources revealed that so far there are 275 people dead.

The official explanation for the tragedy was that the Coromandel Express, a high-speed train, “received a signal to enter the main track,” said Jaya Verma Sinha, a high-level railway official.

Between the twisted irons, people seek to save the people who have had an accident.  Photo: EFE


Between the twisted irons, people seek to save the people who have had an accident. Photo: EFE

That signal was later removed, and instead the train entered an adjoining secondary track, where it collided with a freight train carrying large-scale iron.

After the collision, the carriages of the Coromandel Express overturned on another track, derailing a third formation: the Yesvantpur-Howrah Express, which was coming in the opposite direction. That caused the collision of three trains.

Passenger trains, carrying a total of 2,296 people, were not speeding, it said.

Verma attributed the event to “an error in the electronic signaling system.” At these times, different expert reports are being carried out to reveal whether the error was human or technicalhe pointed.

The electronic system is a safety mechanism designed to prevent conflicting train movements. It also monitors the status of signs that tell drivers how far away the next train is, how fast they can go, and the presence of stopped trains on the tracks.

“The system is 99.9% error free. But the possibility of a 0.1% error is always there,” said the official. When asked if the accident could be the result of sabotage, she replied that “nothing is ruled out.”

Most of the rail accidents in India are attributed to human error or an “outdated signaling” equipment.

More than 12 million people travel on 14,000 trains in the country each day, covering 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) of tracks.

Pope Francis’ request

This Sunday, Pope Francis asked to pray for the “numerous victims” of the rail accident in India, the worst of the 21st century in the Asian giant.

Pope Francis asked "Pray for the victims of the train accident in India", this Sunday in San Pedro Square.  Photo: EFE


Pope Francis asked to “pray for the victims of the train accident in India” this Sunday in Saint Peter’s Square. Photo: EFE

“I assure you of my prayers for the many victims of the train accident that occurred two days ago in India. I am close to the injured and their families. May our heavenly Father welcome the souls of the deceased into his kingdom,” the Pope implored. , after praying the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square.

This Saturday, Francisco had already expressed in a statement his “deep sadness” for the rail accident on Friday in India, a country he intends to visit in 2024.

With information from AP

Recent posts