13 dead, 50 injured in Andhra train accident, collision likely due to human error

mangaloretoday.com

Vizianagaram, Oct 30, 2023: The deaths in the Andhra Pradesh train accident have risen to 13 as four more people have died, Vizianagaram Superintendent of Police said on Monday. Of the dead, seven have already been identified while the process of identification for the remaining people is underway. A total of 54 people were injured in the accident, of whom, 39 were admitted to the Vizianagaram hospital and the rest to other hospitals for treatment, Vizianagaram Collector said.

 

The accident happened after a collision between two trains caused the derailment of bogies in Vizianagaram district on Sunday.

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw also shared updates of the rescue operation on X. He mentioned that 11 coaches from the front of the 08532 Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger train have reached Vizianagaram’s next station, Alamanda, while nine rear coaches of the 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger train have been pulled back to the previous station, Kantakapalle. "Other than the derailed and affected coaches, all cleared from the site," his X post read.

"Rescue operations are underway. All passengers shifted. PM Narendra Modi reviewed the situation. Spoke to the CM of Andhra Pradesh (YS Jagan Mohan Reddy), [the] state government and railway teams are working in close coordination," Vaishnaw wrote in another post on the microblogging site.

This accident comes only months after a similar tragedy happened following the Coromandel Express crashing into a stationary freight train at Balasore, Odisha’s Bahanaga Bazar station on June 2. The deaths in that incident were a staggering 288, and more than 1,100 people were injured.

Here are the key developments in the Andhra Pradesh train tragedy:

1. According to preliminary information, the reason for the collision is suspected to be human error owing to the overshooting of the signal by the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada train.

2. Several trains across India have been diverted, cancelled or short terminated in the wake of the train tragedy, the Ministry of Railways informed on X (formerly Twitter). The Railways have shared seven bulletins on X, in which details of all train services that have been affected due to the accident are given.

3. Taking to X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said that he has taken stock of the situation and spoke to Vaishnaw. "Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected. The Prime Minister extends condolences to the bereaved families and prays that the injured recover soon," the post read.

4. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy issued orders to take immediate relief measures and send as many ambulances as possible from Visakhapatnam and the nearest districts of Vizianagaram to the accident site. He also ordered all kinds of arrangements in nearby hospitals, so that the wounded persons could be provided with good medical care. The Chief Minister further ordered the railway authorities to coordinate with other government departments, including health, police and revenue to take quick-relief measures for the purpose of offering prompt medical services to the injured people.

5. Reddy has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the family of those dead in the train accident. This financial assistance is for people hailing from Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, families of those who died but belonged to other states will be given Rs 2 lakh each. Andhra Pradesh passengers who are severely wounded will receive a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each, and those from other states will get Rs 50,000 each.

He will also visit the accident site today, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said on Monday.

6. PM Modi has announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the family of each dead, while the injured persons will be given Rs 50,000 as financial aid.

7. The Ministry of Railways has issued helpline numbers, and accident relief trains and other rescue equipment have been dispatched to assist with the rescue operations.

8. Emergency workers and local volunteers on Sunday searched the wreckage to rescue passengers trapped in the crushed remains of the train coaches. Images from the site showed the workers struggling to rescue the wounded in the dark, news agency PTI reported. According to local officials, the electric lines were affected due to the crash.

Courtesy: India Today