"Those Who...": Cops' Warning On "Communal Colour" After Train Crash

The Odisha Police issued a warning on Sunday against giving the deadly train accident that claimed 275 lives a "communal colour". In a tweet, police said some social media handles have been circulating "ill-motivated" posts on the Balasore accident and that legal action would be taken against them.

"Severe legal action will be initiated against those who are trying to create communal disharmony by spreading rumours," the Odisha Police said, adding investigation by the state's Government Railway Police (GRP) into the cause of the accident is going on.

The death count after Friday's tragedy has gone up to 288 with over 1,000 injured. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the accident happened due to an issue with the "electronic interlocking system".

Jaya Verma Sinha, Member, Operations & BD, Railway Board, also said a "signalling interference" has been detected, adding details will only emerge after further investigation.

Ms Sinha said the Railways Minister's comment was correct that the crash had nothing to do with 'Kavach' - India's automatic train protection system - as it wouldn't have been helpful in averting such an accident.

Some experts have highlighted an audit report of the railways tabled in parliament in September last year, which flagged serious lapses in rail safety. The 2022 report on derailments in Indian Railways sought to find out whether measures to prevent derailments and collisions were clearly laid down and implemented by the Railway Ministry.

It flagged shortfalls in inspections, failure to submit or accept inquiry reports after accidents, not using a dedicated railway fund on priority tasks, declining trend in funding track renewal, and inadequate staffing in safety operations as serious concerns.

The report also pointed to failures in the Track Management System, which is being widely discussed after the Odisha train crash.