Railways to grill chief TTI again over train tragedy

The chief traveling ticket inspector (CTTI) of the charred B1 coach of Hazur Saheb Nanded-Bangalore City Express which caught fire on December 28, 2013, has come out with contradictory statements during the investigation conducted by Commission of Railway Safety forcing officials to question him again.

During interrogation, 58-year-old B N Mohan, CTTI, had stated that he was in the coach when fire broke out and escaped safely. According to railway officials, his statements do not match with facts on the site. “Mohan says that there was a sudden blast and lot of smoke because of which he could not see anything. All he saw was the door, so he escaped. There was no blast, according to others who were investigated.”

Stating that he was not in that coach, Mohan told Deccan Herald he was in another coach in seat number 64. “I was in A-64 sleeping, when I heard a blast. I could not do anything because I could not see anything. I ran for my life because I too have a family like others. I helped and rescued 20 people from the coach on the side of  berth number 64. I was unable to see the emergency window or emergency phone too.” 

Railway officials wondered how he was able to reach berth number 64 of B1 from A1 when the door was closed and there was too much smoke inside. 

The officials do not buy his claim he was unaware of the emergency window because he has an onboard experience of 30 years. During training, every railway employee is apprised of the location of emergency window and safety measures under disaster management subject.

Officials said: “It is his duty to help passengers and not run away from the site. However, it is accepted that it is natural instinct to save oneself and think of one’s family. But if he claims to have saved 20 passengers, we would want to know who they are and how he did that. Does he have any witnesses to testify?”