The tragic Odisha train accident has left over 280 people dead and over 500 injured, with the death toll expected to rise in the coming days.
The triple train crash in Odisha’s Balasore has left the entire country stunned, with the death toll from the train accident now nearing 290, with over 500 people left injured. As not all the bodies have been recovered from the wreckage, it is expected that the death toll will continue to rise.
Just as the tragic news of the accident broke out, the Indian Railways confirmed that there was no Kavach system installed in the trains, which could have potentially prevented the crash and saved hundreds of lives in the three trains.
The rescue operations for hundreds of trapped passengers are still underway after multiple carriages from the Coromandel Express, travelling between Kolkata and Chennai got derailed after hitting a cargo train. A third train then hit the derailed compartments, causing hundreds of casualties.
However, the Opposition raised a big question regarding the train collision accident – why was the anti-collision Kavach system not installed on the train? Here is all you need to know about this technology.
What is Kavach system to prevent train accidents?
The Kavach system has been designed to prevent train crashes and make sure that all train signals are followed. Kavach is derived from the word ‘armour’, and is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System that was designed in 2022 indigenously.
The Kavach system is designed to send out an alert when a loco pilot jumps a signal (Signal Passed at Danger - SPAD), which is one of the top causes of train collisions and accidents. The system then automatically takes control of the train and alerts the pilot of their mistake.
The Kavach system then automatically slows down the train by taking control and brings the vehicle to a halt to make sure that it does not collide with the train present in the same line of track, thus preventing a major accident.
The locomotive pilot is alerted when he misses a signal or overspeeds, and Kavach and also provides protection during bad weather and dense fog. The system has the ability to automatically implement breaks in case the train is not being driven safely.
While talking about whether Kavach could help avoid this accident or not, a train expert as quoted by India Today said that since the root cause of the accident of train derailment, the anti-crash system could not have prevented the tragic accident.
READ | Odisha train accident: Anti-train collision system ‘Kavach’ was not available on the route
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 "DNA Explainer: What is Kavach system for train safety? Could it have prevented Odisha train accident?")
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