Seven killed, 85 injured in Tamil Nadu train accident
Wednesday September 14, 2011 07:52:40 AM,
IANS
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Chennai/New
Delhi: At least seven people were killed and 85 injured
as a EMU train rammed a stationary passenger train near Arakkonam
junction in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district Tuesday night, officials
said, adding the casualty figures were not confirmed and could
change.
The accident occurred as the Chennai Beach-Vellore electric
multiple unit train hit the Arakkonam-Katpadi passenger train that
was waiting for a signal near Arakkonam, around 85 km from
Chennai, at around 9.30 p.m. At least five bogeys were thrown off
the tracks in the collision.
Though Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said the toll could not be
confirmed yet, Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal said at least
seven people were killed and 85 injured, citing information from
the spot. Police at the spot and Vellore MP Abdul Rehman had
earlier spoken of 15 killed.
However, the figures could change, Mittal said at a briefing along
with the minister in Delhi.
Terming himself "disturbed" over the incident, Trivedi said he was
leaving for the accident site, along with Minister of State for
Railways K.H. Muniyappa, the Railway Board chairman and other
board officials, by the first available flight Wednesday morning.
He also announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs.5 lakh for the
dead, Rs.1 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs.25,000 for the
others.
Trivedi refused to speak about the cause of the incident, noting
it could not be ascertained yet.
"We do not know what exactly had happened... these things take
time. But we will not leave any stone unturned," he said.
Noting the driver of the train that hit the stationary train was
alive and being treated, he said the driver could tell them on
what happened as soon as he was in a condition to do so.
He said he ordered a breath-analyser test of the driver but it
came out negative.
Mittal also announced that the rescue efforts at the spot had
concluded, and all the trapped passengers had been rescued and
admitted to hospital.
Efforts to rescue people trapped in the wreckage had been hampered
by the darkness and heavy rain in the area but rescue teams, with
the necessary equipment and aided by local people, had completed
the task, officials at the spot said.
According to Tamil Nadu Police's Inspector General (Northern Zone)
Shailendra Babu, police and fire brigade teams had reached the
spot soon after the accident.
The injured were taken to various hospitals in Vellore while teams
of doctors had also reached the accident site.
The railways have set up some helpline numbers for aid of the kin
of the passengers. Some of the numbers are 044-25352629,
044-25347771, 044-25350308 and 044-25353988.
Meanwhile, some trains passing through Katpadi have been cancelled
while some others have been halted at different places.
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