'No Intention To Hide Anything': Odisha Govt Rejects Allegation Of Death Figures Manipulation

Odisha Chief Secretary PK Jena has said that delay in the identification of victims and double counting of some bodies has led to some confusion regarding the death figures.

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Secretary PK Jena on Monday said that the state government has no intention to hide the deaths in the Balasore triple train crash and added that the entire rescue operation was being conducted in full public view. Reacting to allegations that the death toll figure was being manipulated, Jena said that the Odisha government believes in transparency. "Media persons are very much present at the accident site since the beginning. Everything is being done in the presence of cameras," he said.

"The railways had stated the death toll as 288. We also said that, and the figure was based on information from the railways. But, our Balasore District Collector has verified the death toll, and the figure was 275 till 10 am on Sunday," he said.

Asked about the change in the toll, Jena said it was due to the double counting of some bodies. The chief secretary said there was also no prohibition on the entry of media persons at the accident site. "The rescue and even restoration activities went on in full public view," he said.

It may be noted that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioned the death figures, stating that 61 people from her state were dead and 182 were still missing. "If from one state, 182 are missing and 61 are confirmed dead, then where would the figures stand?" she asked, addressing a press conference. Union Railway Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw declined to take any questions from journalists in connection with Banerjee's allegation. 

Of the 275 dead bodies, only 108 have been identified, the chief secretary said. He said the state would like all the bodies to be identified so that those could be cremated by their families. "Keeping in view the prevailing hot weather, the bodies are decomposing fast. Therefore, the state can maximum wait for two more days before disposing of them as per the law," he said.

Train Services Resume in Balasore

After 51 hours after Friday's tragic triple train accident, the train services resumed at Balasore's Bahanaga train accident site. A goods train completed a run on the affected stretch, clearing the way for the resumption of services between Kolkata and Chennai from midnight last night. South Eastern Railway sources said long-distance trains like Howrah-Chennai Mail, Howrah-Puri Express, Howrah-Bengaluru Express, Howrah-Puducherry Express, Shalimar-Thiruvananthapuram Express passed through Bahanaga.

Authorities said all trains on the route will be back to normal from today. Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw congratulated all those who have worked relentlessly to restore services. He said the investigation is going on and will go to the root cause of the accident. Railway Minister who reviewed the restoration work at the Balasore triple train collision site yesterday, said that the accident happened due to a change in electronic interlocking.

Vaishnaw has said that their goal is to make missing persons' family members can find them as soon as possible after the horrific triple train accident that took place in Odisha's Balasore on Friday, June 2. 
"Our goal is to make sure missing persons' family members can find them as soon as possible...our responsibility is not over yet," Vaishnaw told reporters on Sunday night. He also waved at the crew of a goods train and prayed for a safe journey, as services resumed following the repair of the damaged tracks on both the up and down lines.

The accident involving three trains has left at least 280 dead and brought into focus the issue of railway safety. There has been a demand for the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw from some quarters.

Rail Ministry Seeks CBI Probe Into Odisha Triple Train Crash

Meanwhile, the Union Railways Ministry has sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the three-train pile-up in Odisha's Balasore. "Keeping in mind all that happened, the information that the administration has, the Railways board has made a recommendation that the investigation be handed over to the CBI," Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters.

The Rail Minister had earlier attributed the horrific collision to a change in "electronic interlocking" and said all will be revealed soon in a report. "The setting of the point machine was changed. How and why it was done will be revealed in the probe report... I will just say that the root cause and the people responsible for the criminal act have been identified," he said.

The Railways said due to a "signalling interference", the Coromandel Express met with an accident and its engine and coach crashed into a goods train laden with iron ore stationed on one of the loop lines. More than 280 people died in Friday's accident, which is being described as one of the worst train accidents in the country.