A Railway Board member, during a press conference, addressed the rumours about the Odisha train tragedy. Debunking the rumours, Jaya Varma Sinha, a Member of Operation and Business Development, Railway Board, also revealed the statements of the train driver. Addressing the rumour she said that the train driver did not jump any signal and the train was not overspeeding when the train crashed.

In her statement, the official said, “Safety is the top priority for Railways. We are making sure that the evidence does not get tampered & that any witness does not get affected. The driver of the train, who sustained serious injuries, said that the train moved forward only after it received a ‘Green’ signal. Neither did he jump any signal nor was the train overspeeding.”

Also read: Odisha Train Accident: Railway Board Member Debunks Rumours; Reveals Real Cause

Additionally, she had stated during the press conference that although the goods train did not derail, the Coromandel Express sustained the most harm because it was transporting iron ores.

Addressing the death toll, Odisha Chief Secy Pradeep Jena said that the number of deceased stands at 275 and 278. He clarified that some of the bodies were counted twice, resulting in the discrepancy.

ANI quotes Jena saying, “The death toll is 275 and not 288. The data was checked by DM, and it was found that some bodies have been counted twice, so the death toll has been revised to 275. Out of 275, 88 bodies have been identified.” He added, “Out of 1,175 injured, 793 have been discharged after treatment. The figure will be updated around 2 pm.”

According to the Ministry of Railways, the restoration effort is well underway, and officials are closely watching how the accident site is being cleaned up. Over a thousand individuals are working on the project. The Ministry reported that more than seven Poclain Machines, two accident relief trains, and three to four railway and road cranes are in use.