M A I N   N E W S

25 dead as trains collide in Andhra
Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS

TRAGEDY ON TRACKS Sixteen bodies were charred beyond recognition The South-Western Railway could release the names of only six persons who died in the accident and could be identified The Railways has ordered an inquiry by a Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to ascertain the exact cause of the accident Railway Minister Mukul Roy has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the dead, Rs1 lakh to the grievously injured and Rs 50,000 to other injured.

Bangalore, May 22
At least 25 persons were killed when the Bangalore-bound Hampi Express (train No 16591) crashed into the rear of a stationary goods train at the Penukonda railway station in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh early this morning.

Charu Sinha, Anantapur range DIG, said 16 bodies had been charred beyond recognition. The South-Western Railway (SWR) could release the names of only six persons who died in the accident and could be identified. The list contained names of four members of a family, including two children aged 12 and nine, respectively.

A railway official said the accident might have been the result of negligence on the part of the train driver who might not have taken note of the light displayed at the signal preceding the station.

The Railways has ordered an inquiry by a Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.

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The Railways bears a yearly loss of Rs 100 crore due to accidents

Three cars of the train were affected the maximum. The SLR coach (second class luggage-cum-brake van) next to the engine of the passenger train bore the maximum brunt. It caught fire. Raju, Special Fire Officer (SFO) at Penukonda, said all the charred bodies were recovered from the SLR. The coach behind the SLR and a general second-class coach (third from the engine) were also affected in the crash.

According to SWR, 36 persons sustained serious injuries in the accident. They were taken for treatment to government hospitals at Penukonda and Hindupur and Satya Sai Hospital at Puttaparthi and Pavagadu Hospital in Anantapur.

The driver of the engine escaped with minor injuries. He, however, was in a dazed condition and was being treated in a hospital.

“The accident took place at 3.15 am. We could reach there by 3.45 am. The railway relief party also came immediately. The coaches had to be cut open to extricate the dead and the injured trapped inside,” DIG Charu Sinha said.

Two 140-tonne cranes, besides labourers and workers, were deployed for rescue operations. “The rescue operations have been completed,” said Sai Nath, a senior SWR official.

Three trains had to be cancelled as a result of the accident and five others, including the Nizamuddin-Bangalore Rajdhani Express are running late.

The ill-fated train, which left Hubli at 6 pm yesterday, was to reach Bangalore at 6 am. The train originates in Karnataka and passes through parts of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh before re-entering Karnataka.

Railway Minister Mukul Roy, who was supposed to go to Delhi from Kolkata to attend Parliament session, changed his programme and reached the accident site. KH Muniyappa, Minister of State for Railways, who is from Karnataka, also visited the spot.