New Delhi: Railway Board Chairman I M S Rana on September 10 said the accident involving the Rajdhani Express on September 9 night was a "clear case of sabotage" and neither the bridge nor the tracks were the reason behind the disaster.

According to latest information with him, 69 people have died and 180 injured. The death toll could go up "a little" as there was still one coach, which could be opened only up to 40 per cent of its capacity of 64 berths.

Addressing a press conference shortly after his return from the accident spot, he dismissed doubts when questioned about the sabotage theory saying 20-40 minutes was more than enough for any saboteur to tamper with fishplates.

Answering critics who wondered how a goods train could have passed safely over the 86-year-old bridge just 40 minutes before the accident, he said removal of the fishplates in 20-40 minutes was not such a tough task.

"You can always loosen the nuts and bolts and a train can pass. Then one can always execute the remaining task for a disaster to happen," he said.

He said there was no structural deficiency with the 280 feet long bridge or the 60 kg track. "In fact it is one of the best tracks in the railways," he said adding that the bridge has suffered extensive damage after the derailment.

The Railway Board Chairman said the state officials were also of the view that the accident had occurred because of the sabotage but were not prepared to say it publicly. The need was to convince them of it, he said.

Rana said after reaching the accident site, he and other Railway Board officials heard local people saying that ISI and MCC may be behind the sabotage.

When reporters asked him the official source of his information, the chairman said no authentic information was available neither the local police had confirmed about it.

Emphasising that no lapses were involved on the part of the railways for the cause of the accident, he said FIR has been filed for the accident.

PTI