India Train Accident Caused by Signaling System Error

June 5, 2023

A train derailment in India on Friday night killed at least 275 people and injured hundreds more. The accident, which occurred in the eastern state of Odisha, was caused by an error in the electronic signaling system.

The Coromandel Express, a high-speed train, was traveling from New Delhi to Chennai when it was given a signal to proceed onto the main track line. However, the signal later changed, and the train instead entered an adjacent loop line where it collided with a freight train loaded with iron ore.

The impact of the collision caused the Coromandel Express to derail, and several of its carriages overturned. The freight train also derailed, and its cargo of iron ore spilled onto the tracks.

The accident occurred at around 10:00 p.m. local time, and rescue workers were on the scene within minutes. However, the mangled wreckage of the trains made it difficult to reach the injured and trapped passengers.

The death toll from the accident is expected to rise, as many of the injured are in critical condition. The accident is one of the deadliest rail disasters in India in decades.