CBI team reaches Odisha train accident site, inquiry begins

A total of 101 bodies are yet to be identified out of 275 people who died in the Odisha train accident, said officials on Monday, adding that around 200 injured are still being treated in hospitals. The tragic train accident in Odisha has left more than 1,100 people injured.

Speaking to ANI, Divisional Railway Manager of the Eastern Central Railways Rinkesh Roy said, “About 1,100 people were injured in the accident, out of which about 900 people were discharged after treatment. Around 200 people are being treated in various hospitals in the state. Out of 278 people who died in the accident, 101 bodies are yet to be identified.”

Of the total 193 bodies kept in Bhubaneswar, 80 bodies have been identified, of which 55 bodies have been handed over to their relatives, informed Vijay Amrit Kulange, Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.

“More than 200 calls have been received on BMC's helpline number 1929. The dead bodies are being identified and handed over to the relatives,” Kulange added.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is poised to take charge of the investigation into the Odisha train accident, which claimed the lives of 275 people and left over 1,100 injured.

Roy said that the CBI has reached the accident site in Balasore and an inquiry is being done. “CBI team has reached the accident site in Balasore. Inquiry is being done.”

The decision to involve the CBI was prompted by findings from a preliminary probe that suggested "deliberate interference" in the signaling system, necessitating a thorough investigation by a professional agency.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who has been overseeing the restoration work at the crash site, announced on Sunday evening that a CBI probe had been recommended into the accident. 

Earlier speculations of sabotage and tampering with the electronic interlocking system, which detects train presence, had surfaced as potential causes for the collision involving the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, and a goods train.

While the CBI takes charge of the investigation, the focus remains on restoring confidence in the safety of railway operations and preventing future mishaps.

The Odisha train accident has underscored the importance of stringent measures to safeguard the integrity of signaling systems and the need for a thorough examination of railway safety practices.