Team News Riveting
Balasore, June 4
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw offered prayed while personally supervising the first train chugging on the restored tracks after the deadliest Balasore accident that killed 275 people on Friday.
The railway authorities had restored the badly damaged tracks on the site where three trains that include two passenger trains collided on Friday. Within 51 hours after the tragedy unfolded, the traffic on the section that connect Howrah and Chennai was restored.
A video showed the first train movement in the section as Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw prayed on the side-lines as the guard’s cabin crossed the spot. “Everyone has done a great job. I feel great sadness for the affected families but we will get to the root cause of the incident and whoever is responsible will be severely punished,” the Railway Minister said, adding that traffic had started on the down line while rail laying work had been completed on up line and overhead electrification work was in progress.
Earlier today the Railways ministry sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the three-train pile-up in Odisha’s Balasore. More than 275 people have died in Friday’s accident, which is being described as one of the worst in the country.
“Keeping in mind all that happened, the information that the administration has, the Railways board has made a recommendation that the investigation be handed over to the CBI,” Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters.
The Railways said due to a “signalling interference”, the Coromandel Express met with an accident and its engine and coach crashed into a goods train laden with iron ore stationed on one of the loop lines.
