In a heart-wrenching incident on Sunday, two trains collided in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh, leaving 13 dead and injuring 54 passengers. The preliminary investigation suggests human error might be the cause of this tragic event.
Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, promptly provided updates on rescue operations and coordination between the state government and railway teams. “All passengers shifted. PM Narendra Modi reviewed the situation,” Vaishnaw shared.
This tragedy is eerily reminiscent of the Coromandel Express crash in Odisha’s Bahanaga Bazar station last June, where a staggering 288 passengers lost their lives.
Highlights of the Andhra Pradesh Train Accident tragedy:
- Probable Cause: Early indications hint at human error due to signal overshooting by the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada train.
- Train Services Affected: Several trains were diverted, canceled, or short-terminated, as shared by the Ministry of Railways on their microblogging account.
- PM Modi Responds: Taking to social media, the Prime Minister’s office conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and assured all necessary assistance.
- State’s Relief Measures: AP Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, immediately ordered relief measures. He directed the dispatch of ambulances from nearby districts and ensured all arrangements in nearby hospitals for proper medical care of the injured.
- Compensation Announced: Reddy declared a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for deceased families from Andhra Pradesh, while those from other states will receive Rs 2 lakh. Severely wounded passengers from Andhra Pradesh will be given Rs 2 lakh each, whereas those from other states will be provided Rs 50,000.
- Prime Minister’s Aid: PM Modi announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the deceased families. Injured individuals are set to receive Rs 50,000.
- Helpline and Rescue Operations: The Ministry of Railways released helpline numbers. News reports depict scenes of emergency workers tirelessly working in the dark, trying to extract passengers from the wreckage.
Images from the site display the massive impact of the collision. The immediate focus remains on providing the necessary medical attention to the injured and restoring normalcy.
For the Indian audience, such incidents reiterate the importance of infrastructure checks and the significance of prioritizing safety in daily transport operations.