The number of casualties in the train accident on the Howrah-Chennai line in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh rose to 14, Vizianagaram Joint Collector Mayur Ashok said on Monday, while the number of injured stood at 50.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will be directly visiting the Vizianagaram Government General Hospital on Monday where survivors of the train mishap are being treated, shelving his planned visit to the accident spot to avoid delaying track restoration work.
The Chief Minister will call on the injured survivors of the accident which occurred on the Howrah-Chennai line on Sunday evening. Several survivors are undergoing treatment at Vizianagaram Government General Hospital.
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"On the request of the Railway officials, the CM will go directly to the hospital instead of inspecting the scene at the train accident spot...Railway officials appealed that if the CM comes to the spot there is a possibility that the track restoration work will be delayed," said a note shared by the CMO with PTI.
"The number of dead rose by one to 14, of which 13 died at the accident site itself and one while undergoing treatment," Ashok said.
Superintendent of Police M Deepika said 50 people were injured.
According to a senior East Coast Railway (ECR) official speaking to PTI, at approximately 7 pm, the Palasa passenger train collided with the Rayagada passenger train from the rear in Kankatapalli, resulting in the derailment of three coaches.
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In a statement by Vizianagaram Collector S Nagalakshmi, it has been confirmed that on Sunday, at least 32 people were injured. A senior railway official added that arrangements were being made to transport the injured to hospitals in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram.
How did the accident happen?
Biswajit Sahu, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the ECR, also informed that the accident took place between Alamanda and Kantakapalli in the Vizianagaram-Kottavalasa railway section of the Waltair division of the East Coast Railway zone at about 7 pm.
He said train number 08532 (Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger) and 08504 (Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger special) were involved in the accident, adding that the Rayagada passenger had overshot the signal.
Two coaches of the Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger train from the rear and the locomotive of the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train got derailed, the official added.
Announcements by the ministers
In a post on X, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government has announced ex-gratia payments for the victims.
"All injured shifted to hospitals. Ex-gratia compensation disbursement started -- Rs 10 Lakh in case of death, Rs 2 Lakh towards grievous and Rs 50,000 for minor injuries," he said on the microblogging website.
Expressing shock over the incident, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy also instructed officials to pay an ex-gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh each to the injured from the state.
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He also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured from other states, according to an official release.
