At least seven employees, including three railway employees arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges of dereliction of duty for the Balasore train accident in Odisha, have been suspended.
A top official gave this information. On June 2, 293 people were killed and over 1,200 were injured in an accident involving three trains near Bahanga Bazar railway station in Balasore district.
South Eastern Railway General Manager Anil Kumar Mishra said reporters that the accident could have been avoided had the officials been alert.
Mishra said reporters after visiting the accident site that the Railways has so far suspended seven employees, including the three arrested by the CBI.
As per the rules, the employee arrested for 24 hours is suspended.
The CBI had arrested Senior Section Engineer (Signal) Arun Kumar Mahant, Section Engineer Mohammad Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar.
They have been taken into custody by the CBI for four more days from Wednesday. The three employees were produced before the designated CBI court here on Tuesday after completion of their five-day custody.
Earlier, an inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) of the South Eastern Circle revealed that the accident was caused by tampering with the signaling circuit at the station’s northern signal tower.
On June 2, the Howrah-bound Coromandel Express collided with a stationary goods train on another line, derailing most of its coaches.
Meanwhile, some coaches of the Coromandel Express overturned on the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express passing at the same time, causing this horrific accident.
