Sign failure possible precipitated practice to alter tracks earlier than India crash, says minister

India’s lethal rail crash was possible brought on by a signalling failure that precipitated a practice to wrongly change tracks, the nation’s railway minister has stated.

Ashwini Vaishnaw stated there had been an error with the “electronic interlocking” – a system that manages the tracks and sign sequencing utilizing sensors and suggestions.

“Whoever did it and how it happened will be found out after proper investigation,” he added.

More than 300 folks died within the accident and round 900 extra have been injured.

Authorities labored to clear the wreckage of the 2 passenger trains that derailed on Friday evening in Balasore district in Odisha state.

Jaya Verma Sinha, a senior railway official, stated the preliminary investigation discovered {that a} sign was given to the high-speed Coromandel Express to run on the primary observe line however the sign later modified.

The practice as a substitute entered an adjoining loop line the place it rammed right into a freight loaded with iron ore. The collision flipped Coromandel Express’s coaches onto one other observe, inflicting the incoming Yesvantpur-Howrah Express from the alternative facet additionally to derail, she stated.

Ms Verma Sinha added that the passenger trains, carrying 2,296 folks, weren’t rushing.

It is among the nation’s deadliest rail disasters in many years.