Social media accounts giving communal colour to Odisha accident: Police

ODISHA: Some social media accounts were giving a communal colour to the horrific train accident in the Balasore district, the state police said on Sunday. According to the Odisha Police, the collision and derailment involving 2 passenger trains and a goods train, on Friday evening was maliciously communalised by these social media accounts.

"It has come to notice that some social media handles are mischievously giving communal colour to the tragic train accident at Balasore. This is highly unfortunate," the Odisha Police said in a statement. It requested everyone to refrain from sharing such "deceptive and malicious posts" about the Balasore accident.

They also added that strong legal action would be taken against anyone trying to incite communities against each other through false and malicious social media posts. "We appeal to all concerned to desist from circulating such false and ill-motivated posts. Severe legal action will be initiated against those who are trying to create communal disharmony by spreading rumours," the state police added in its statement.

It stated further that the Government Railway Police (GRP) was in the process of conducting an inquiry into the accident and probe all aspects of the case. "An investigation by the Government Railway Police GRP, Odisha into the cause and all other aspects of the accident is going on," it said.

The triple train accident on Friday involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and the goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar station in the Balasore. Earlier, on Sunday, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the accident occurred due to a "change in electronic interlocking."

Electronic interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements between trains through an arrangement of tracks. It is basically a safety measure to prevent signals from being changed in improper sequence. The aim of this system is that no train gets the signal to proceed unless the route is proven safe. Earlier in the day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, along with Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met the injured at Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Secy Pradeep Jena clarified that the death toll from the horrific accident had been revised from 288 to 275 after it was determined that some bodies had been counted twice."The death toll is 275, and not 288 as reported earlier. The toll was re-checked by the district magistrate (DM) and it was found that some bodies had been counted twice. Hence the toll was revised to 275, of which 88 bodies have been identified," Jena told ANI."Of the 1,175 injured, 793 were discharged after treatment," he added. Over 1000 workers were pressed into service for restoration of the damaged tracks, the ministry stated, adding that more than 7 Poclain Machines, two Accident Relief Trains and 3-4 Railway and Road Cranes are deployed for the purpose as well.