The Hindu : Train accident probe begins

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 17, 2003

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Train accident probe begins

Ludhiana May 16. The Commissioner for Railway Safety, Bhupinder Singh, today began his inquiry into Thursday's Frontier Mail fire by meeting the injured passengers in hospitals to get a "first hand account" of the tragedy that claimed 38 lives.

Mr. Singh, who was to begin his probe from May 18, met each of the 14 injured at the Christian Medical College and Dayanand Medical College hospitals.

He refused to divulge the information provided by the injured saying the inquiry was confidential. "Even though the job is complicated, I will finish the inquiry as early as possible," he said.

Mr. Singh said that the probe would be conducted with an open mind and would not be influenced by various theories doing the rounds. People, including passengers, having information relating to the fire can appear before the CRS.

Mr. Singh, accompanied by senior Railway officials, also inspected the four damaged bogies at the railway yard. Initially, he made a 15-minute round of the coaches and saw through the interiors also. He then returned to the yard and made a second inspection over an hour and closely examined the remains of the bogies. He, however, did not express any opinion.

The Commissioner also visited the accident site near Ladhowal railway station, about 10 km from here, railway sources said. He examined the spot as also the railway track and adjoining railway installations, including electric poles.

The bodies of 15 victims, including five of a family from Madhya Pradesh, were identified today by their relatives at the Civil Hospital here today. A total of 28 of the 36 persons dead, including seven women and eight children, have been identified so far.

Six bodies as per the "skull count" of the Railways and two limb parts remain in the make-shift mortuary at the Civil Hospital here. — PTI

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