Balasaheb Thorat demands resignation of Ashwini Vaishnaw after massive train tragedy in Odisha

Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after the massive three-train collision in Odisha a day earlier in which more than 200 people have been killed.

Addressing a press conference, Thorat said the Union government was not a sensitive one and demanded to know what had happened to the much-touted Kavach anti-collision mechanism that was supposed to prevent such incidents. The railway minister is never seen even at the inauguration of new trains by the prime minister. He should resign after this tragic accident, Thorat demanded. 

At least 261 people were killed and more than 900 injured in the train crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday. It is one of the deadliest train crashes in the history of the Indian Railways. The derailment of 10 to 12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express caused them to fall onto the opposite track. Subsequently, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express collided with the derailed coaches, leading to the derailment of three to four of its own coaches. Adding to the tragedy, a goods train was also involved in the crash.