Fourteen passengers were killed and over 50 people sustained injuries after two trains collided on the Howrah-Chennai line in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district on Sunday, October 29. Less than a day after the accident, track restoration has begun. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the location and later conducted an aerial survey at the train accident site.
A total of 33 trains have been cancelled, 22 trains diverted and 11 trains partially cancelled since the Sunday collision, Biswajit Sahu, Chief Public Relations Officer of the East Coast Railway (ECR) said. Earlier, Sahu said that 18 trains had been cancelled and 22 diverted.
He added that the track should be cleared by 4 p.m. on Monday, October 30.
Officials are currently focused on track restoration work as the rescue operation has ended. Heavy-duty cranes had been brought in for the operation. Buses and trains were arranged for stranded passengers.
Speaking to ANI, Divisional Railway Manager of the Waltair Division Saurabh Prasad said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Response Force teams were working alongside the Railway teams to clear the track. Fire department officers and the state government are also collaborating to investigate the matter and narrow down the cause of the accident.
# About the collision
A collision between two trains on the Howrah-Chennai line in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh led to the derailment of the three coaches of the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train.
The Hindu reported citing DRM that the Palasa passenger was passing through the middle line & is said to have slow down. Meantime, the Rayagada passenger overshot the signal and hit the Palasa passenger from behind.
According to media reports, the locomotive pilots of Rayagada Passenger and a guard of the Palasa train also died in the accident. Five coaches plus the locomotive got mangled. Three coaches were of the train which was ahead (Palasa Passenger) and two coaches and the locomotive were of the Rayagada passenger, the Divisional Railway Manager said.
Further, Prasad said four OHE masts, railway electrical infrastructure, have been damaged at the accident site, spanning all the three lines.
# Death toll
The death toll in the Andhra Pradesh train accident has reached 14 with another 50 people sustaining injuries, according to the police and Vizianagaram Joint Collector Mayur Ashok.
Out of the 14 dead, seven people have been identified and the process to identify the bodies of the others is underway.
Biswajit Sahu, Chief Public Relations Officer of the ECR, last night said at least nine people were killed in the incident.
The victims with simple injuries were treated at a nearby hospital, whereas those with grievous injuries are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, Sahu added.
The Chief Minister also paid a visit to train accident victims at the Vizianagaram Government General Hospital and enquired about their treatment and facilities.
# Politicans respond
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on the rail tragedy, who also spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Vaishnaw was videographed monitoring the situation from the war room in Delhi on Sunday night. He also announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin for the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for those with simple injuries.
Reddy on Monday visited the accident site in Vizianagaram.
Tweeting about the tragedy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi requested party workers of the region to provide support. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also took a hit out at the Modi government on Monday, saying the enthusiasm shown in flagging off trains with fanfare should also be shown in action towards railway safety and the well-being of passengers.
Also, Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury questioned the centre on anti-collision devices in locomotives.
“In spite of hue and cry being made by this government and railways ministry across the nation that they are doing something new and innovative, within a span of 5 months only, 2 rail collisions took place in India, one in Balasore and one in Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, one derailment in Buxar, Bihar also took the lives of people. These incidents have debunked the high promises made by the government," he said.
First Published: Oct 30, 2023 10:24 AM IST
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