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Probe into rail mishap begins

Indian Railways' Chief Safety Commissioner N Mani today began on-the-spot investigation into Monday's train disaster, which had claimed at least 400 lives.

''It has to be ascertained whether it was a mechanical or human failure and nothing can be said until the investigation is over,'' Dr Mani told the media at Gaisal in West Bengal.

He said he had asked the rescue workers to find out the log book, the repair book and the speedometers, which were very vital for the investigation.

Asked whether the accident was due to any sabotage, he said, ''I don't think so. But at the same time I do not rule out the possibility.

''It is an unusual and terrible situation. We are getting conflicting reports. But we are here to collect prima facie evidence,'' Dr Mani said.

Rescue workers from the Indian Army, the Border Security Force, the state police and the railways were busy extricating bodies from the remaining two of the four coaches, which telescoped into each other under the impact of the collision between the Awadh-Assam Express and the Brahmaputra Mail.

More than 290 bodies had so far been recovered from the twisted coaches of the two trains.

''There is no survivor in the two coaches and we are apprehending the presence of more bodies,'' said a rescue worker. The workers were seen busy prying open the coaches with gas cutters and forking out bodies as the relatives waited anxiously at the site to know the fate of their near and dear ones.

Official sources said 367 injured had been admitted to different hospitals in West Bengal and Bihar. Of them, 15 had succumbed to their injuries.

Chaos prevailed at the Gaisal railway station and at hospitals as relatives of the victims were seen running for identification of bodies and treatment of the injured.

UNI

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