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At least 14 people have died and 50 more are injured after two passenger trains collided in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district on Sunday night, 29 October. The accident took place between the Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger train and the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger Special on the Howrah-Chennai line.
A loco pilot and an assistant loco pilot are among the deceased. Three coaches were derailed due to the impact of the collision, according to a report by NDTV.
Wreckage of derailed coaches of two passenger trains after their collision on Sunday in Vizianagaram district.
(Photo: PTI)
"11 coaches from front of 08532 Visakhapatnam - Palasa reached next Alamanda station. Train 08504 Visakhapatnam - Rayagada rear 9 coaches pulled back to the previous station, Kantakapalle. Other than the derailed and affected coaches, all cleared from the site," Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote on X.
Vaishnaw also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased. Those who suffered grievous injuries in the train accident will receive Rs 2.5 lakh while passengers with minor injuries will get Rs 50,000.
An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased victims and Rs 50,000 for the injured will be distributed from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), according to the PMO. The state government has also offered financial assistance to the victims.
In the wake of the Sunday night tragedy, the South Central Railway issued a notice cancelling the following trains:
Secunderabad-Manmad
Manmad-Secunderabad
Visakhapatnam-Tirupati
Tirupati-Visakhapatnam
Emergency helpline numbers set up in view of the train accident.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
How Did the Train Accident Take Place?
The Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger train had halted on the tracks as there was no signal, NDTV reported. That's when the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger Special reportedly hit the stationary train.
Meanwhile, PTI reported that the mishap was a result of human error. “Likely reason: Human error. Overshooting of the signal by Visakhapatnam- Rayagada passenger train,” East Coast Railway (ECoR) CPRO Biswajit Sahoo was quoted as saying.
This is the second deadly train accident that has taken place in the last five months. In June, a horrific train accident in Odisha's Balasore claimed the lives of more than 280 people and left 900 passengers injured.
The Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train were involved in the Odisha accident.
'Deeply Shocked', 'Alarming': Political Leaders React
Expressing deep shock, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he has instructed officials to carry out relief operations and coordinate with officials from health, revenue, police, and other government departments.
"The Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit the train accident area at Kantakapalli in Vizianagaram district today. The Chief Minister will also visit the injured persons who are undergoing treatment in the hospitals. Officials are making the arrangements," the CMO tweeted.
Raising concern about the increasing number of railway accidents, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that "this is becoming a most unfortunate repetitive trope!! Solidarity to the kin of victims, demand for most expeditious rescue actions and inquiry forthwith! When will the railways come out of the slumber?"
Offering his condolences, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said, "My heart goes out to the families of the victims, and I wish a speedy recovery for the injured."
“With a significant number of Indians relying on railways for their commute, it's alarming to witness such incidents in quick succession. It's imperative for the union government and the railways to urgently reevaluate and enhance train safety measures, ensuring the trust and safety of passengers is upheld,” Stalin added.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav also questioned the safety measures in place to prevent such accidents. "I am sad about this tragic train accident. Such repeated train accidents are exposing the government's claim of having the technology that will alert about potential risks. What kind of 'kavach' is this?" he said.
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