Railway safety commissioner says Harda accident caused by heavy rainfall

Accident had led to loss of at least 29 lives

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has provisionally confirmed minister Suresh Prabhu's version of the cause of the historic Harda train accident in Madhya Pradesh last month - natural calamity caused by flash floods due to heavy rains.

The accident, described as "freak" by the railway board officials, had led to loss of at least 29 lives according to the official version. Around 11 coaches of Mumbai-Varanasi Kamayani Express and the Patna-Mumbai Janata Express derailed at the same time while crossing a rain-water flooded bridge over the Machak river 160 Kilometer from capital Bhopal on 4 August.

"After carefully considering the factual, material and circumstantial evidence, CRS has provisionally come to the conclusion the derailment of both trains was caused due to washing away of ballast and formation-soil beneath the track on UP line and on DN line on the approaches (ends) of Railway Bridge," the civil aviation ministry said in a release.

It added the failure of railway embankment, including the approaches of the bridge, was caused due to sudden washout of the approaches of a road bridge on Machak River near Rolgaon village on Sirali-Masangaon district road on account of very heavy rainfall in the catchment area of the upstream Machak River.

According to the CRS, the sudden surge of water due to washout of the approaches of this Road Bridge caused flooding in Mandla village and headed upwards on upstream of the railway bridge which finally started overflowing from the track. "Due to overflow of this flood water, the track ballast and embankment started eroding and finally the rail embankment for nearly 270 meter including the approaches of the bridge was washed away," the release said.

The CRS findings are in contrast to the media reports that quoted railway officials as saying the cause of the accident was sinking of the tracks which does not occur overnight pointing at maintenance failure.