October 30, 2023 by admin

Six dead, 18 injured in train accident in Andhra’s Vizianagaram

At least six people died and 18 were injured when coaches derailed after Visakhapatnam-Ragada passenger train hit a Visakhapatnam-Ragada train travelling on the same route in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district on Sunday evening, officials said.

“Six people died and 18 injured in the Andhra Pradesh train accident,” Deepika, SP, Vizianagaram said. “There was a rear collision between the Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger train and the Visakhapatnam-Ragada passenger train,” the Divisional Railway Manager said.Divisional Railway Manager Saurabh Prasad reached the site, and rescue operations are in full swing.

Local administration and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were informed, seeking assistance and ambulances and accident relief trains have reached the site, the official added.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the train crash event in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. According to the PMO, the impacted parties are receiving every support that can be given by the government.

The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000, the PMO said in a post on X (formally twitter).

Expressing shock over the incident, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed the officials concerned to undertake rescue operations.

He asked the officials to arrange a sufficient number of ambulances to ferry the injured.

The Railways also shared a list of trains that were diverted/cancelled/short terminated due to the accident.

(With inputs from agencies)