Odisha train accident: What caused the deadly collision, human error or technical glitch? Here's what report reveals

At least 288 people died in one of the most devastating train accidents, while over 900 people suffered critical injuries and are presently undergoing medical care in the Odisha train disaster. On June 2, about 7 o'clock, the deadliest rail accident in India occurred.

A passenger train, the Coromandel Shalimar Express, derailed and collided with a cargo train within a short period of time. A second train, the Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast, then crashed into the wrecked coaches. The death toll is probably going to go up, and many more are thought to be trapped under the debris. Initial assessments from the railroad's signals control center indicate that human error was a factor in the tragic events.

What could have led to the three-way railway accident in Odisha?

The train may have taken the incorrect track minutes before it crashed, according to initial reports from the signalling control room of Kharagpur, suggesting that human mistake may have been the reason for the accident. The camera footage from the signals control room of the Kharagpur division of the Railways appears to show that the train reportedly changed lanes minutes before the collision.

Shortly after leaving Bahanagar Bazar station at around 6:55 pm on Friday, the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express accidentally joined a loop route where a cargo train was stopped, according to the Hindustan Times. To determine the precise reason for the accident, according to the official, a more thorough probe is needed.

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An official from the railway department reported that the Coromandel Express, which was travelling at a speed of roughly 127 km per hour, crashed with the cargo train and wrecked on the main line. The officer stated above said that the Coromandel Express was struck by the Howrah-bound Yashwantnagar Express minutes after the accident. 

Could there have been a technological error?

However, a former railway employee from the East Coast Railway zone said that the tragedy could have occurred because of signal problems and technical difficulties. 

The former official was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying, "Despite the cargo train was on the loop line of the railway station according to the signal panel housed in the station manager's office, the final few bogies of it might have been actually sitting on the main track when Coromondal Express arrived quickly at 127 km per hour."

Only after a comprehensive investigation can the accident's cause be determined with certainty.