2nd rly accident in fortnight; 18 are dead, Govt admits ‘human failure’

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South Central Railway has reached the accident site and will commence his inquiry on Sunday.

In New Delhi, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar admitted that the accident was because of ‘‘human failure’’ and warned of stern action against the erring officials. He said the assistant station master and a ‘‘pointman’’ were absconding after the accident.

The minister has asked the General Manager South Central (SC) Railway S.N. Singla for an explanation and ‘‘inspection notes’’ for the second serious accident in his zone in a fortnight.

On December 21, the Kachiguda-Bangalore Express had derailed near Kurnool in the same zone, killing 21 passengers. Though the CRS enquiry is in progress, officials had already declared that sabotage had caused accident. However, there were reports which indicated lack of maintenance and monitoring of tracks. Today’s accident, sources said, was nothing but sheer callousness on the part of operations staff.

Inspection notes are prepared by officials after they have undertaken scrutiny of various sections and sent to the GM. The GM himself is supposed to carry out an annual inspection of the zone along with all the Head of Departments. The annual inspection is done in a special coach attached at the end of the train.

Incidentally, Singla was Chief Engineer of Northern Railway when that zone experienced two of its worst accidents. When the Jammu-Sealdah Express collided with the derailed Golden Temple Frontier Mail near Khanna in November 1998, killing 250 persons, his department had been indicted by the Chief Commissioner Railway Safety (CCRS) for lack of track maintenance and failing to follow proper mornitoring procedures.

Two years later, when 45 passengers died near Sarai Banjara as the Howrah-Amritsar Express collided with a derailed goods train, he was ‘‘sent on leave’’ by then railway minister Mamata Banerjee.

In fact, there had also been controversy over his appointment as GM of South Central Railway at the time of empanelment itself. The Department of Personnel had raised objections to his empanelment and returned the list but railway minister Nitish Kumar had sent the same, ensuring selection of Singla. He took charge of South Central railway in February, this year.