CRS probe into Balasore train tragedy: Five rail employees under scanner

Five railway employees, including the station master of Bahanaga Bazar, are being investigated in connection with the three-train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district that claimed 288 lives, official sources said on Monday.

Five railway employees, including the station master of Bahanaga Bazar, are being investigated in connection with the three-train accident in Odisha's Balasore district that claimed 288 lives, official sources said on Monday.

The four other employees perform signalling-related job and were on duty at the time of the accident earlier this month, they said.

The sources said the five employees are discharging their duties at present and any future action would depend on the accident probe report prepared by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS).

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a separate probe into alleged criminal negligence leading to the accident at Bahanaga Bazar station on June 2.

Railway Ministry officials have indicated a possible manual tampering of the interlocking system which turned the signal for the Coromandel Express to green and guided it to the loop line where it collided with a stationary goods train.

An interference with the interlocking system, which is an automated signalling system, is being seen as the major cause of the incident.

“Five railway personnel are currently at the centre of the probe. A final report from the CRS is expected soon,” a senior rail official, who did not wish to be named, said.