Andhra train accident updates | Initial probe points finger at Rayagada passenger train crew

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to inspect all rail lines in the country.

The Chief Minister made the appeal following a visit to the Vizianagaram government general hospital where the injured survivors are undergoing treatment in the wake of a train accident in Vizianagaram district.

“I sincerely request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to constitute a high level audit committee to thoroughly examine all these aspects, not just on this line but on all lines across the country,” said Reddy in a post on X.

He stressed the need for an audit to ensure that devastating accidents do not recur.

Reddy posed three queries on the accident which claimed 14 lives and left 50 injured.

Survivors of the Vizianagaram train accident recalled experiencing sudden jerks as the train they were travelling in applied its brakes several times before the collision that resulted in the death of 14 people.

Satyanarayana, one of the survivors, told PTI that the passengers felt a few jerks followed by a huge sound and then everything came to a halt.

“We boarded the train at Vizag. Some were going till Bobbili. Suddenly brakes were applied. The train jerked thrice. People began to panic after this,” he said.

PTI

A preliminary railway probe into the Sunday night accident in Andhra Pradesh has held the driver and the assistant driver of Rayagada Passenger train responsible for the collision as it passed two defective auto signals violating norms. Both crew members were killed in the accident.

Signed by seven experts, the preliminary report said they carefully examined the accident site, available evidence, statements of officials concerned, data logger report and the speedometer chart.

It concluded that the Rayagada passenger train (08504) hit the Visakhapatnam Palasa passenger train (08532) from the rear due to the crew of the former passing two defective auto signals.

“Hence, LP (loco pilot), S M S Rao, ALP (Assistant Loco Pilot) of Train no 08504 (Rayagada Passenger train) held responsible,” the report, accessed by PTI, said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday visited the train accident victims at the Vizianagaram Government General Hospital and enquired about their treatment and facilities.

“Are they taking good care of you? Is the doctor taking care of you,” Reddy asked a victim who suffered a leg injury and proceeded to talk to two minor girls and their mother undergoing treatment. He spent almost an hour with several patients.

Earlier, Reddy shelved his plan to visit the accident site to avoid delaying track restoration work and directly proceeded to the hospital where several survivors are undergoing treatment.

“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.

PTI

A pal of gloom descended at Vizianagaram government hospital with the arrival of family members and relatives of those who had died or were injured in the train accident, on October 30 morning. Many of them had struggled a lot to reach the hospital from their remote native villages of Cheepurupalli, Garividi, G. Sigadam, Parvatipuram and other places.

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Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw spoke to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy over the medical aid and relief measures being taken out at Vizianagaram government hospital of Andhra Pradesh.

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Many local people of Kantakapalli, Alamanda, Kothavalasa and other areas extended their wholehearted support to the rail accident victims from Sunday night to early hours of Monday. Initially, they thought that it was a minor accident and derailment of the train. Later knowing about the seriousness, they rushed to the spot with water, milk and food packets.

As both Palasa passenger and Rayagada passengers did not have pantry cars, the passengers always buy food and water at the railway stations. The locals’ timely support has helped them a lot. A local woman B. Lakshmi said they helped the passengers to make phone calls as some of them did not have mobiles and others lost them in the incident. Gurudeva Charitable Trust founder Raparthi Jagadish Babu sent doctors and volunteers to the spot.

Aam Aadmi Party Vizianagaram District Convener K. Dayanand asked the government announce ₹25 lakh compensation to each of the deceased family, alleging that since all 14 persons lost their lives due to the alleged negligence of the railway department. He also insisted ₹5 lakh compensation for each injured persons.

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.

“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.

- PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for an immediate inquiry into the train derailment in Andhra Pradesh, contending that such rail accidents have become an “unfortunate and repetitive trope”.

“Another disastrous rail collision, this time in Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh, involving two passenger trains, and causing until now at least 8 deaths and injury of at least 25 more,” Banerjee said on X late on Sunday.

“Frontal collisions between trains, derailment of compartments, helpless passengers trapped in coaches and succumbing to fate: 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?” she said.

- PTI

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday, October 30, 2023, directed Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marandi to visit neighbouring Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district where a train accident has killed 14 people.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Mr. Patnaik also asked Mr. Marandi to meet the injured persons undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

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The KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry.

It is meant to provide protection by preventing trains to pass the signal at Red (which marks danger) and avoid collision. It activates the train’s braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per speed restrictions. In addition, it prevents the collision between two locomotives equipped with functional Kavach systems.

According to the DRM, both the trains that collided at Vizianagaram did not have the Kavach system.

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“There is one up line and one down line besides a middle line at the spot. The Palasa passenger was going on the middle line and is said to have slow down and in the meantime, the Rayagada passenger overshot the signal and hit the Palasa passenger from behind. Three coaches of the Palasa passenger and the locomotive and two coaches of the Rayagada passenger were badly damaged and capsized and thrown beside the track,” Mr. Saurabh Prasad told The Hindu at the accident spot around 10.30 a.m. on Monday.

“The records of the data logger, speed recorder and other records have been seized. The Commissioner of Railway Staff (CRS) is on the way and the Railway Board DG and other officials are expected any moment. A full-fledged inquiry will be conducted to know the cause of the accident.”

“The KAVACH system is not available on both these trains,” the DRM said

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.

“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.

A senior Railway official said the injured had been shifted to hospitals in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram.

- PTI

Vizinagaram Collector S. Nagalakshmi assured to ensure up to ₹10 lakh ex-gratia for families of deceased persons of rail accident. She also assured ₹2 lakh compensation for each injured person. According to her, 13 persons were killed and 38 were injured in the incident.

She visited Vizianagaram government hospital and consoled family members of the decased. The government will arrange ambulance service to send bodies to the native places of family members of Vizinagaram and Srikakulam districts.

Deputy Speaker of AP Legislative Assembly Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy consoled the railway accident victims and their family members at Government General Hospital of Vizianagaram in the early hours of Monday. He said that such rail accidents had never taken place in North Andhra region and it had shocked him.

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Two trains have been cancelled, five trains diverted and four trains short-terminated after the collision of 08532 Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger with 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger.

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Names of those who died in the train accident: Kanchubaraki Ravi, Gidijala Lakshmi, Karanam Appalanaidu, Challa Sathish, SMS Rao (loco-pilot), Chintala Krishnam Naidu (gangman), Pilla Nagaraju, M. Srinivas (train guard), Tenkala Sugunamma. Two bodies remain unidentified.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at the Modi government on Monday over the train derailment in Andhra Pradesh, saying the enthusiasm shown in flagging off trains with fanfare should also be shown in action towards railway safety and the well-being of passengers.

In a post on X, Mr. Kharge said, “Extremely saddened to learn about the train derailment tragedy in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh, where precious lives have been lost and several people have suffered injuries.” “Our deepest condolences to the families of the bereaved. We pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he said and requested Congress workers to provide every possible help. It seems that all the claims of safety by the Union government, post the Balasore train tragedy have evaporated in thin air, he said.

“The same enthusiasm of flagging trains with fanfare and propaganda should also be shown in action towards railway safety and the well-being of crores of daily passengers,” he said.

-PTI

Relief and rescue operations are going on briskly at the accident spot. Senior railway officials are trying to restore the track which is needed for the restoration of trains movement in important Chennai-Kolkata route. The trains movement was halted in this route for the last 14 hours.