Odisha train collision: CBI arrests three railway officials

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has on Friday arrested three people in connection with the Balasore train accident in Odisha that left at least 290 people dead during the triple train crash.

CBI arrested senior Section engineer Arun Kumar Mohanta, section engineer Mohammad Amir Khan and technician Pappu Kumar under Sections 304 and 201 of CrPC.

A high-level inquiry has found ''wrong signalling'' to be the main reason for the Balasore train accident and flagged ''lapses at multiple levels'' in the signalling and telecommunication (S&T) department, but indicated the tragedy could have been averted if past red flags were reported.

The independent inquiry report submitted by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) to the Railway Board said notwithstanding the lapses in signalling work, remedial actions could have been taken by the S&T staff if ''repeated unusual behaviour'' of switches connecting two parallel tracks were reported to them by the station manager of Bahanaga Bazar, the spot of the accident.

The report also suggested that the non-supply of station-specific approved circuit diagram for the works to replace the electric lifting barrier at level crossing gate 94 at Bahanaga Bazar station was a ''wrong step that led to wrong wiring''.