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Hyderabad:
At least 25 people, including four children, were killed in Andhra
Pradesh's Anantapur district early Tuesday when the Banglore-bound
Hampi Express collided with a stationary goods train, police said.
Over 70 injured people were shifted to various hospitals as the
rescue work continued at the accident site near Penukonda railway
station, about 400 km from here.
As many as 16 bodies, most of them charred beyond recognition,
were found in first coach, which caught fire due to electrical
short-circuiting after the collision. Seven bodies were recovered
from other damaged coaches, while two persons died from their
injuries in a local hospital, police said.
The train driver and his co-driver were among those killed in the
accident that took place around 3.15 a.m. The toll may go up as
some of the injured are stated to be in a very critical condition.
Some passengers were still trapped inside the damaged bogies, and
the rescue workers were using gas cutters to extricate them.
The train, which left Hubli at 6 p.m. Monday, was to reach
Bangalore at 6 a.m. It originates in Karnataka and passes through
parts of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh before re-entering
Karnataka.
A signalling error appears to have led to the crash, a railway
official said.
Such was the impact of the collision that the first coach behind
the engine caught fire, while three other coaches behind it were
derailed. The women's and general compartments bore the brunt.
The official said the casualties were higher as passengers were
asleep when the collision happened. All the victims are believed
to be from Karnataka.
Local police, fire-fighting and railway personnel rushed to the
spot and began rescue and relief operations.
Anantapur district collector Durga Das and other senior officials
are supervising the rescue and relief operations. The collector
said the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals.
Union Railway Minister Mukul Roy, who is rushing to the spot, has
ordered an inquiry into the accident.
The railway minister also announced a compensation of Rs.5 lakh
each to the next of kin of the dead, Rs.1 lakh to the grievously
injured and Rs.50,000 to other injured people.
Andhra Pradesh's Minister for Revenue Raghuveera Reddy, who
visited the spot, told reporters that the 70 injured were shifted
to hospitals in Penukonda, Hindupur and Puttaparthi.
Another state minister Sailajanath and member of parliament K.
Chiranjeevi also visited the accident site.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the officials to
provide all help to the injured and other passengers stranded at
the station.
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