Odisha train accident: CBI team reaches Balasore

Balasore: A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reached Odisha to speak to the concerned officers in connection with the Balasore triple train tragedy.

As of now, the CBI has not made any official statement in this connection.

According to sources, the team reached Balasore Monday night.

“We haven’t registered a case in this matter as of now. We are examining the incident spot,” the source said.

The Railway Board had on Sunday recommended for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the train accident.

“The way this accident happened, looking at the conditions, and according to the administrative information, the Railway Board is recommending the probe to the CBI,” Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said on Sunday.

Vaishnaw came under fire from the opposition parties which are demanding his resignation. The opposition has been citing several reports and audits that highlighted the lapses on the part of Railways.

In one of the horrific tragedies, at least 275 people died while over 1,000 were injured when 21 coaches of two — Coromandel Express and SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express — and a goods train collided and derailed on Friday evening near Bahanaga Bazar Railway station in Odisha’s Balasore.
(With inputs from IANS)