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BhubaneswarAt least seven railway 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 injured in an accident involving three trains near Bahanga Bazar railway station in Balasore district.
South Eastern Railway General Manager Anil Kumar Mishra told reporters, “Had the officials been alert, the accident could have been avoided.” Mishra told reporters after visiting the accident site, “Railways have so far suspended seven employees, including the three arrested by the CBI. As per rules, the arrested employee is suspended for 24 hours.”
The CBI had arrested Senior Section Engineer (Signal) Arun Kumar Mahant, Section Engineer Mohammad Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar. He has 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 conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South Eastern circle, revealed that the accident was caused by tampering with the signaling circuit at the station’s northern signal tower. The Howrah-bound Coromandel Express collided with a stationary goods train on another line on June 2, 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.
