The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on January 22.

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its shock and deep sorrow at the Hirakhand Express accident in which thirty two people have been reported killed so far and fifty four injured. Nine bogies of the Jagadalpur-Bhubaneswar train were derailed as a result of the accident which took place in the Vijayanagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. The Polit Bureau extends its heartfelt sympathy to all those families who have suffered a terrible loss in the accident.

Such railway accidents are happening with distressing frequency. Despite various assurances, the railway ministry has totally failed to provide elementary safety for passengers traveling in the Indian Railways. After the devastating accident in which 146 people were killed near Kanpur in November last year, it was expected that the railway ministry would take urgent steps to upgrade the safety features on the railways.

It is unfortunate that nobody at the highest levels of government including the railway minister are held accountable for the present dismal state of affairs.