6 killed, many injured in collision of two trains near Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a ghastly incident, six people were killed and severely sustained injuries after a passenger train travelling to Rayagada in Odisha from Visakhapatnam derailed in Vizianagaram district on Sunday.

According to Railway officials, the accident occurred when the stationary Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger was hit by Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger from behind. Three coaches were derailed near Alamanda railway station in the accident. All the injured people were shifted to the hospitals in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.

The East Coastal Railway (ECR) Divisional Railway Manager Saurabh Prasad said that rescue teams arrived at the scene, however as the area where the accident occurred was experiencing darkness due to damage of electric wires during the collision. Local administration and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel were also informed and sought assistance and ambulances, he said, and added that accident relief trains also reached the site.

YS Jagan expresses shock: announces ex-gratia

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock over the train mishap at Kantakapalli in Vizianagaram and asked the officials to carry out relief operations.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to pay an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs.2 lakh each to the injured from the State and a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 each to the injured from others states.

Union Railway Minister Aswini Vaishnav spoke to the Chief Minister over the accident. YS Jagan informed him that rescue teams were sent to the accident site and Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, District Collector and the SP were supervising the relief and rescue operations.

YS Jagan informed the Union Minister that all arrangements were made in the nearby hospitals to treat the injured.

Earlier, on receiving information of the derailment of three coaches of the Rayagada bound passenger train near Vizianagaram, the Chief Minister asked the Medical and Health, Revenue, Police and other department officials to coordinate and carry out relief operations immediately.

YS Jagan also asked them to report the developments from time to time.

Helplines set up at Visakhapatnam railway station:

Train Accident

0891 2746330, 08912744619

Airtel:

81060 53051

8106053052

BSNL:

8500041670

8500041671