Srinagar, July 09: Nearly 70 per cent of railway accidents take place due to human error although sabotage is also one of the major causes, Union Minister of State for Railways, Bandaru Dattatreya said here today. Taking this into account, Indian Railways is organising a two-day seminar for railway officers in New Delhi from tomorrow with focus on how to prevent human errors, the minister, who is here to review the progress of Kashmir railway project, told.
Quoting a survey, the Minister said as 70 per cent of train accidents occur due to human error, it was necessary to acquaint the staff with the necessary safety measures.
"Drivers, key-men, gang-men and other staff also need to be educated on the latest safety trends in the railways for which we will be organising refresher courses", he added.
Dattatreya said sabotage was also one of the major causes of accidents as was evident in the mishap in Andhra Pradesh last week.
"Though an inquiry has been ordered, initial reports suggest that the track had been vandalised leading to the accident,” he added.
He, however, put the onus on state governments to prevent anti-social elements from damaging the tracks.
Railways was in the process of acquiring anti-collision devices worth Rs 180 crore to increase safety in running of trains, he added.

Bureau Report