Odisha train accident: Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recommends CBI probe

The Railway Board has recommended a CBI probe into the Balasore train accident that has so far claimed 275 lives.

“We have recommended a CBI probe into the triple train accident that claimed 275 lives and left over 1,000 injured,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters in Bhubaneswar on Sunday evening.

The Centre along with the support of the state government are giving all support to the injured patients who are admitted to various hospitals in Balasore, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

“Patients are being given all facilities in hospitals. There are teams of doctors who are taking care of patients round-the-clock,” Vaishnaw said.

He said the government was trying to get in touch with the families of the deceased.

“We are trying to get in touch with families of the dead,” the Minister added.

The Odisha government on Sunday revised the triple train accident’s death toll to 275 from 288, and put the number of injuries at 1,175.

Chief Secretary P K Jena said some bodies were counted twice. "After detailed verification and a report by Balasore District Collector, the final toll has been fixed at 275," he said.

Three trains— Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah super fast and a goods train — were involved in the pile-up on Friday, now being described as one of India’s worst train accidents.

The Coromandel Express rammed into a stationary goods train and many of its carriages overturned including some onto another train - the Bengaluru-Howrah superfast express which was also passing by at the same time on Friday.