Highlights: At least 288 people died and 900 others were injured in the collision between three trains in eastern India on June 2nd. Authorities have warned that the death toll could rise further. India's railway minister said the cause and those responsible had been identified, without disclosing them. Two main opposition parties are calling for the resignation of the Minister of Railways.Documents show that warnings had been issued about the lack of track maintenance and signalling problems, reports our correspondent in New Delhi, Sebastien Farcis.

At least 288 people died and 900 others were injured in the collision between three trains in eastern India on Friday (June 2nd). The authorities have warned that the death toll could still...

The cause of the rail disaster in India related to the switching system

At least 288 people died and 900 others were injured in the collision between three trains in eastern India on Friday (June 2nd). Authorities have warned that the death toll could rise further. It was one of the worst rail disasters in the country's history. India's railway minister said the cause and those responsible had been identified, without disclosing them.

Police inspect the destroyed wagons after the three trains collided near Balasore, in the Indian state of Odisha, on June 4, 2023. AFP - DIBYANGSHU SARKAR

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It seems likely that it was a signage error that led the first passenger train onto a siding where it collided with a stationary train. Was this error caused by a human or technical fault? Does the huge lack of staff within the railway company have something to do with it?

► READ ALSO: India: nearly 300 dead in one of the worst rail disasters of the country

India's Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced on Sunday (June 4th) that the cause and those responsible had been identified, while designating an electronic signalling system. He added that it was "not appropriate" to disclose more details before the final investigation report. According to the minister, "the change that occurred during the electronic switch is at the origin of the accident", referring to the complex computer system managing traffic on Indian railways to prevent the collision of trains. "The culprit and how the accident occurred will be discovered after a proper investigation," he added.

The opposition, for its part, has stepped up to the plate, denouncing a government more concerned with launching new trains for the rich, than with ensuring the safety of the poor. Two main opposition parties are calling for the resignation of the Minister of Railways.

Human error?

The Times of India, citing the preliminary investigation report, said Sunday that "human error" may have caused the collision. The Coromandel Express, from Kolkata to Madras, had been given the green light to run on the main track, but was diverted due to human error on a track where a freight train was already located. The passenger train then collided with the freight convoy at a speed of approximately 130 km/h. Three cars then fell on the adjacent track, hitting the rear of an express train that was flying between Bangalore and Kolkata. It was this collision that caused the most damage, the Times added, citing the preliminary report.

The tragedy took place near Balasore, about 200 km from Bhubaneswar, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Odisha. Some 24 hours after the accident, rescue operations ended Saturday night, when the gutted carcasses were searched for survivors.

288 lives shattered

There are currently 288 victims, a real collective tragedy. But there is also the tragedy of injured children... For example, there is this 7-year-old child who had gone from Bengal, in the north-east of the country, to the extreme south of India, to treat a psychological problem. The metal of the crashed train mowed him down halfway and he is now paralyzed. He is on a bed with multiple fractures in his spine, reports our correspondent in New Delhi, Sebastien Farcis.

Among the passengers were also, for example, a thirty-year-old, who was embarked on this journey of nearly 2,000 kilometers to go to work in the South. Other workers returned north for school holidays. The victims are overwhelmingly poor people who pay a few tens of euros for these long journeys in crowded wagons.

The train is the transport of the poor in India: 22 million people use it every day and that is why its safety is a political matter, because it is a class of voters who vote en masse much more than the rich. Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister knows it, he who came immediately on the spot and promised exemplary sanctions against those responsible for this tragedy.

(

And with AFP)

Existing alerts on lack of track maintenance and signalling

Documents show that warnings had been issued about the lack of track maintenance and signalling problems, reports our correspondent in New Delhi, Sebastien Farcis. This happened on February 8, in southern India. A signalling error led a train to the wrong track, and a terrible collision was narrowly avoided, thanks to the presence of mind of the driver who stopped the train.

A letter from a public railway company executive describes the incident as a major flaw in the signalling system. And warns that it can happen elsewhere and create a serious accident. And that's what seems to have happened Friday night, except this time, the driver couldn't brake in time. In addition to this letter, there was a report by the Court of Auditors, which warned in December that the lack of resources spent on track maintenance was the main cause of the hundreds of derailments that have occurred over the past five years.

The cause of the rail disaster in India related to the switching system

The cause of the rail disaster in India related to the switching system

Human error?

288 lives shattered

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