Three railway officials have been arrested by Indian authorities following a devastating train crash that claimed the lives of 275 people. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced the arrests on July 7 as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident, which occurred on June 2 in eastern Odisha state.
The crash involved two passenger trains, the Coromandel Express and the Howrah Express, as well as a freight train carrying iron ore. The Coromandel Express was diverted onto a loop line and collided with the stationary freight train at Bahanaga Bazar railway station. The impact caused the derailed carriages to collide with the oncoming Howrah Express. The high speeds at which both passenger trains were traveling, along with the heavy weight of the freight train, exacerbated the severity of the crash.
Initial investigations suggested that a traffic signaling failure may have been responsible for the accident, raising concerns about the safety of India's extensive and aging rail network. The incident sparked a high-level inquiry to determine the exact cause of the crash and hold those responsible accountable.
Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi visited the crash site shortly after the incident and expressed condolences to the affected families. He emphasized the seriousness of the incident and pledged severe punishment for anyone found guilty of negligence. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who had previously stated that the crash was due to a change in electronic interlocking, has also asserted that the cause and those responsible have been identified.
In response to the tragedy, Odisha's chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, announced financial compensation for the families of the deceased and the injured. The families of the deceased will receive $6,067, while those with serious injuries will be offered $1,213.
India's railway network, which dates back over 160 years to British colonial rule, is one of the largest in the world, covering approximately 67,000 miles of tracks and operating around 11,000 trains daily. The incident has highlighted the need for significant upgrades and modernization to ensure the safety and efficiency of the rail system. Prime Minister Modi has prioritized the improvement of transportation infrastructure as part of his efforts to achieve a $5tn economy by 2025. The government has increased capital spending to $122bn on infrastructure projects including airports, roads, and highways, to support this goal.
Comments (0)