The leader of the Trinamool party, Kunal Ghosh, claimed he was unable to confirm the veracity of the audio tape he had from his “sources.”
In the aftermath of the triple train collision that occurred in Balasore, Odisha, preliminary findings point to a signalling error.
In the sad event that took place in Balasore, Odisha, a triple train crash resulted in the deaths of 288 persons and injuries to more than 900 other individuals. An error, according to the findings of the preliminary inquiry into the incident, caused the Coromandel Express to be directed onto the track of a cargo train. A claimed audio tape that allegedly contains a dialogue between railway officials discussing the reason of the devastating catastrophe has been circulating online in recent days. Even though the provenance of the audio sample cannot be established with certainty, it provides some insight into the possibility of manipulating signals and the eventual collision. The Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has indicated that the ‘root cause’ of the accident has been determined, and that an exhaustive report will be submitted very soon.
Detailed Description of the Alleged Audio recording The alleged audio recording contains a dialogue between two railway officials, with one of them stating that the report seems to have inconsistent information. The other person on the line, who was later identified as Ashok Agarwal, Deputy CSO (Traffic) of South Eastern Railway, emphasises that the preliminary report was based on ground evidence and that not everything was obvious at the time.
The following is how the dialogue proceeds, as described in the audio clip:
The caller said, “How is this even possible?”
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The caller wanted to know, “Is that the reason why the Coromandel Express crashed into the goods train?”
Investigation and Identifying the Root Cause: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has guaranteed that the ‘root cause’ of the triple train disaster has been discovered, and a thorough report will be provided very soon. According to the findings of the investigation so far, it appears that the Coromandel Express and a cargo train were involved in the original incident. It would appear that an issue with the train’s signalling caused the Coromandel Express to deviate into the loop line. At first, a signal was issued for the Coromandel Express to enter the main track; however, this signal was eventually removed. As a direct consequence of this, the Coromandel Express entered the loop line at an extremely high speed, causing it to collide with the cargo train.
As a result of the triple train collision that occurred in Balasore, Odisha, a significant number of people have lost their lives, while hundreds of others have been injured. Even while the validity of the alleged audio tape is still in question, the fact that it exposes a possible manipulation of signals that led up to the crash is not. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has indicated that the ‘root cause’ of the disaster has been determined, and that the ministry will shortly provide a full report on the matter. The preliminary findings of the investigation point to a malfunction in the railway’s signalling system as the principal cause of the accident. As a result, the Coromandel Express was incorrectly routed onto the track that was being used by the freight train. As the authorities look deeper into the tragedy, it is vital that they ensure a comprehensive inquiry in order to prevent future disasters that are comparable to this one and to improve the safety of railway operations.
