Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnau said the tragic collision of two passenger trains on October 29, 2023, in which 14 people lost their lives, was due to inattention on the part of the driver and his assistant. revealed. The incident occurred at 7 pm on the Howrah-Chennai line in Kantakapalli, Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh, when a Rayagada passenger train rammed into a Visakhapatnam-Palasa train from behind.
Minister Vaishno said the driver and his assistant were engrossed in watching cricket matches on their mobile phones, diverting their attention from important tasks. He emphasized this point while discussing the introduction of new safety measures within the Indian Railways.
“The recent tragedy in Andhra Pradesh highlights the imperative of strengthening safety protocols. To prevent such lapses in the future, we have put in place a system that can detect distractions and distractions to ensure the concentration of railway staff,'' Minister Vaishnau said in a PTI video interview. mentioned in.
He also confirmed the Government's unwavering commitment to prioritizing safety within the rail network. “We are committed to safety. We thoroughly investigate each incident to determine the root cause and develop effective solutions to avoid it happening again,” he added. .
Although the official report from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) is yet to be submitted, initial investigations conducted by railway authorities quickly identified the driver and his assistant of the Rayagada passenger train as the main culprits. Two defective motor vehicle traffic lights and a subsequent violation of safety regulations were cited as factors in the crash. Tragically, two crew members lost their lives in the aftermath of the incident.
