Cause of India Train Disaster: 'Signal Error'... Entered Different Track

On the 2nd (local time), a triple train collision disaster that occurred in Odisha, eastern India, was found to have been caused by a signal error related to track entry, according to preliminary investigation results.

Local Indian media such as NDTV reported this on the 3rd.

In Odisha state in northeastern India, two passenger trains collided on the afternoon of the 2nd (local time).
[Image source=AP·Yonhap News]

The accident occurred in the Balasore area of Odisha, where two passenger trains and one freight train collided.

The first accident happened when the passenger train 'Coromandel Express,' traveling at 130 km/h from Shalimar in the northeast to Chennai in the south, collided with a parked freight train. The front locomotive of the Coromandel Express derailed, climbing onto the roof of the freight train. Subsequently, some of the derailed Coromandel Express carriages collided a second time with the rear of the Superfast Express, which was traveling from western Bengaluru to northeastern Howrah.

The death toll from this accident is estimated to be between 261 and 288 according to local media and various agencies. Most of the casualties are reported to be passengers of the Coromandel Express.

Indian authorities and experts stated that the first collision involving the Coromandel Express and the parked freight train appears to have been caused by a signal error.

The Times of India reported that an official who visited the accident site said, "The Coromandel Express did not proceed on the main line toward Chennai but entered the loop line where the freight train was parked, resulting in the collision," adding, "It seems to be a human error related to signaling."

Indian authorities are investigating the exact cause of the accident, keeping open various possibilities including technical defects. About 200 support vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks, military helicopters, and approximately 1,200 personnel were deployed to complete rescue operations at the accident site. The number of injured is estimated to be between 650 and 900, with most receiving treatment in hospitals.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India stated that, so far, no Korean casualties have been identified in connection with the train collision accident.