'Human error': 8 killed, 40 hurt in Andhra Pradesh train collision

New Delhi, October 29

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Eight persons were killed and over 40 injured after a collision between two passenger trains resulted in the derailment of bogies in the Waltair section in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district on Sunday.

This is the second major railway accident this month after the derailment of the Kamakhya-bound North East Express at Buxar in Bihar claimed four lives on October 12. Around 7 pm on Sunday, the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Special Passenger Train hit the rear portion of the stationary Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger Train on the same track. “Two coaches of the Visakhapatnam-Palasa train and the engine of the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada train got derailed in the accident,” said Biswajit Sahoo, CPRO, East Coast Railway. “Human error is the likely reason. The Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train overshot the signal,” Sahoo added.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy issued orders to take immediate relief measures and to send ambulances from Visakhapatnam and the nearest districts to the scene.

PM mourns loss, announces aid

PM Modi mourned the deaths in the train accident. He announced an aid of Rs 2L from the PMNRF for next of kin of each deceased. The Railway Minister announced Rs 10L in case of death, Rs 2L for grievous injuries and Rs 50K for minor.