Odisha Police issues warning as tweets give communal colour to Coromandel train accident

Odisha train accident: The Odisha Police has issued a stern warning to those trying to give a communal colour to the Odisha train accident which claimed the lives of 275 people and injured over 1,175 on Friday when three trains crashed into one another due to “technical fault”. Odisha Police has said that severe legal action will be initiated against those spreading rumours to create communal disharmony.

The Odisha Police appeal came a day after some Twitter users shared a drone image of the Odisha train accident site which also showed a little structure closer to it, claiming that it was a mosque and the incident happened on a Friday. Some fact-checking websites have, however, confirmed that the structure is a temple.

Issuing a warning against sharing rumours about the structure closer to the Odisha train accident site, the Odisha Police said, “It has come to notice that some social media handles are mischievously giving communal colour to the tragic train accident at Balasore. This is highly unfortunate. Investigation by the GRP, Odisha into the cause and all other aspects of the accident is going on.” Also Read | Odisha train accident: Cause of accident identified that killed 275 passengers

“We appeal to all concerned to desist from circulating such false and ill-motivated posts. Severe legal action will be initiated against those who are trying to create communal disharmony by spreading rumours,” the police said on its official Twitter handle.

The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train occurred around 7 PM on Friday near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar. At least 275 people were killed and around 1,175 injured in the accident.