August 20: Revisiting Train Accident In Which 250 People Were Killed In 1995

India has seen some horrific train accidents over the years. Twenty eight years ago, on August 20, a tragic train accident killed more than 250 people after two Delhi-bound passenger trains collided in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad, as per an old report in CNN.

The disaster happened after the Kalindi Express, which was around 200 kilometres away from Delhi, struck a cow on the track at Firozabad. The train stopped due to faulty brakes, at which point the Purshottam Express struck it from behind. At least 200 people were injured in the accident in addition to 250 people confirmed dead. 

According to the news agency PTI, the collision completely damaged three coaches of the Kalindi Express while the engine and two carriages of the Purshottam Express were derailed.

In June this year, at least 293 people were killed and over 1000 were injured as four coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed in Odisha's Balasore district, following which it collided head-on with a goods train coming from the opposite direction on the other line. A third freight train was also involved in the accident. The train crash is regarded as one of the deadliest such accidents since the country's independence.

A signal error led to the devastating triple train accident, the Ministry of Railways said in July, releasing the findings from the Commissioner of Railway Safety's report. The report pointed to lapses in signalling circuit alteration at North Signal Goomty station and during the execution of signalling work for the replacement of the Electric Lifting Barrier. "The rear-collision was due to the lapses in the signalling-circuit-alteration carried out at the North Signal Goomty (of the station) in the past, and during the execution of the signalling work related to replacement of Electric Lifting Barrier for level crossing gate no. 94 at the Station," the report said.

These errors resulted in a green signal being displayed for the wrong line, leading to a train collision with a stationary goods train, it noted.