BALASORE: Exactly a week after 22 coaches of an express train rolled on for about 13 km without an engine in
Titlagarh in
Odisha, a similar incident on Saturday evening in the state's Balasore district belied the railways' claim of better preparedness.
A goods train kept going for two kilometres despite five wagons getting detached from it between
Bahanaga and Panapana stations around 6.30 pm on Saturday. The South Eastern Railway zone has ordered a probe.
Railway sources said the 60-wagon, limestone-laden train was moving towards Tata from Dhamra port station in
Bhadrak district when the coaches got detached. The train covered the two kilometres without either the driver or the guard noticing the separation. The disconnected wagons themselves continued to move ahead for about half a kilometre. The train was travelling at a speed of around 50 kmph.
After noticing the problem, the driver stopped the train at Khantapada station. A separate railway engine from Bahanaga station was sent to bring back the five detached wagons to Khantapada.
Debendra Kumar Mahakud, the station manager of Khantapada, said the incident happened due to a break in coupling of the train. "We have asked the carriage and wagon department of South Eastern Railway to initiate a probe," said Behera.
A senior railway officer said this incident was technically different from the one in Titlagarh.
Illustration for representational purpose.