Train Services Resume After Collision in Vizianagaram

Train services on the Howrah-Chennai route have resumed after a collision involving two passenger trains in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh left 14 people dead and 50 injured.

Train services on the Howrah-Chennai route resumed on October 31, a day after a collision involving two passenger trains in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh left 14 people dead and 50 injured.

Joint Collector's Statement

Joint Collector of Vizianagaram district, Mayur Ashok, stated that thirteen people died at the accident site itself and one succumbed while undergoing treatment. According to a Railway official, the 50 injured have been shifted to hospitals in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram.

Andhra Pradesh CM Visits Injured

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited those injured at the Government General Hospital in Vizianagaram. Accompanied by Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, Vizianagaram district Collector S Nagalakshmi, and others, the CM inspected the treatment facilities and spoke to the victims.

Accident Details

Officials of the East Coast Railway (ECR) said that at around 7 pm on Sunday, the Rayagada Passenger train hit the Palasa Passenger train from behind at Kantakapalli, about 40 km from Visakhapatnam, causing three coaches to derail. Five coaches plus the locomotive got mangled. Three coaches were of the train which was ahead Palasa Passenger and two coaches and the engine were of the Rayagada passenger, Waltair DRM Saurabh Prasad said.

Restoration of Train Services

Coordinated multi-departmental efforts spearheaded by railway authorities have restored train services in the Howrah – Chennai Railway line, following a train accident at Kantakapalli. Within 19 hours of the accident, train services were restored and the first train, a freight one, passed on the down line at 2:23 pm and the first train on the up line.

Relief and Restoration Work

The Railway Board and Andhra Pradesh state government also chipped in for relief and restoration work. As many as 1,000 workers, staff, and supervisors from multiple departments were engaged, including pressing a 140-ton crane and more than 10 excavators into service. As part of relief efforts, the local district administration was provided with ambulances, accident relief trains, medical teams, senior doctors, and others.

Post Mortem Procedures Completed

Meanwhile, the Vizianagaram district administration completed post mortem procedures on 12 bodies and handed them over to their families, District Collector S. Nagalakshmi told PTI. Earlier in the day, CM Jagan Mohan Reddy urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to audit all rail lines in the country.

Ex-Gratia and Compensation

Expressing shock over the incident, Reddy instructed officials to provide an ex-gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and permanently disabled survivors. He also directed officials to offer Rs 2 lakh to injured persons who will recover within a month and get discharged from the hospital and Rs 5 lakh to victims who need hospitalization beyond one month.

Train Cancellations and Diversions

Following the train crash, several trains were canceled, rescheduled, and diverted earlier.

The accident is a grim reminder of the need for improved safety measures on Indian railways. The government and railway authorities must take immediate steps to ensure that such tragedies do not occur in the future.