Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that people identified for the deadly rail accident in Odisha have been identified. The Minister reviewed the restoration work at the triple train collision site in Balasore on Sunday and said that the accident happened due to a change in electronic interlocking. The rail accident claimed 288 passengers’ lives and injured more than 1,000. Rescue and restoration work at the accident site is underway.
Speaking to ANI, Vaishnaw said, “The commissioner of railway safety has investigated the matter and let the investigation report come but we have identified the cause of the accident and the people responsible for it. It happened due to a change in electronic interlocking.”
He continued, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected the site yesterday/. We will try to restore the track today. All bodies have been removed. Our target is to finish the restoration work by Wednesday morning so that trains can start running on this track.”
Meanwhile, seven National Disaster Response Force Teams, five Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force Units and 24 Fire Services and Emergency Units were deployed for the rescue operation.
The Indian Air Force deployed Mi-17 helicopters for the evacuation of the victims.
