Hyderabad: 13 people died and 40 were injured in a rail accident in Andhra Pradesh when a passenger train overshot the signal and hit another from behind on the Howrah-Chennai line last evening. A special passenger train between Vishakhapatnam and Palasa had stopped on the main line between Alamanda and Kantakapalle due to no signal when a Vizag-Rayagada passenger train hit from behind.
Due to the collision, the last two coaches of the Vishakhapatnam-Palasa train and the locomotive of the Vishakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train got derailed, confirmed Biswajit CPRO, East Coast Railway.
“11 coaches from front of 08532 Vishakhapatnam-Palasa reached next Alamanda station. Train 08504 Vishakhapatnam-Rayagada near 9 coaches pulled back to the previous station, Kantakapalle. Other than the derailed and affected coaches, all cleared from site”, wrote Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology.
While the rescue operations are still underway Railway Minister said that all injured have been shifted to the hospital. The railway ministry has announced an ex-gratia compensation disbursement of Rs 10 lakhs in case of death, Rs. 2.5 lakhs towards grievous and Rs. 50000 for minor injuries. Additionally, prime minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.
26 trains have been cancelled so far and 22 have been diverted. Initial investigations reveal that the accident occurred due to the fault of the Vizag-Rayagada loco pilot, who died in the impact of the collision.
Earlier, the tragic Odisha train accident on an ill-fated night of June 2023, resulting in loss of 278 lives, over 1000 have been left injured. Divisional Railway Manager of the Eastern Central Railways Rinkesh Roy said that around 200 people are still being treated in various hospitals, 101 dead bodies are yet to be identified.
The commissioner of Railway Safety says the triple-train collision on June 2 took place owing to lapses in the signaling-circuit alteration carried out at the Bahanaga Bazaar station, which resulted in wrong signal to Coromandel Express; claims report submitted to Railway Minister, Railway Board.
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