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‘Total failure of govt’: Tejashwi Yadav slams Centre on Odisha train tragedy
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said that it happened due to a change in electronic interlocking.
Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday hit out at the Central government over the tragic Odisha train accident which killed over 270 people, saying that it is a “total failure of the government of India, the railway minister, and the prime minister”. Claiming that the accident “happened due to negligence”, Yadav said that the “Railways claim that safety is their priority but even after such a major accident, they have not taken any responsibility”.
Also read: Congress to corner Modi govt on Odisha train tragedy: ‘We were quiet out of respect’
“This shouldn't be a time for politics…but responsibility must be taken. It is a big accident. Action must be taken against those responsible,” Tejashwi Yadav said.
He added, “The Centre has not done any investigation of the wrestlers' issue, so I don't know what they will do. Only time will tell. But till then someone should take responsibility…Such a big incident happened, PM Modi should have held a press conference.”
Also read: ‘Disheartened...never seen so many bodies in our life’: Odisha fire official
Death toll
According to the latest reports, the three-way train accident which involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express, and the goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station left 275 people dead and over 1000 injured.
What was the cause?
According to an initial report, a “mistaken” signal likely led to the Coromandel Express entering a side track on which the goods train was parked. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said that it happened due to a change in electronic interlocking.
Meanwhile, a member of the Railway board Jaya Varma Sinha said that there was “no overspeeding” of any train. "For some reason, which is under investigation, there was an accident on the Coromandel Express. The preliminary report indicated some signalling fault but I won't comment on it until the report is submitted. But there should not be any misconception that three trains crashed. Only one train, the Coromandel, encountered an accident and its engine piled on the goods train on the loop line," she said.
