Thirteen people lost their lives and 40 were injured in a train accident in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday evening after a passenger train hit another train from behind on the Howrah-Chennai line. The train overshot the signal leading to the accident.
The incident took place in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. Total eighteen trains were cancelled following the accident while 22 were diverted to other routes.
Vizag-Raigad passenger train hit a special passenger train between Visakhapatnam and Palasa from behind as it was stopped on the tracks between Alamanda and Kantakapalle because of no signal. Three coaches were derailed due the accident.
According to the railways, the accident is said to be because of a human error as loco pilot missed the signalling. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the site was cleared except the derailed and affected coaches.
Vizianagaram Collector Nagalakshmi confirmed the thirteen deaths today morning and 4 out of the 40 injured are under critical condition, he added.
Meanwhile Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a compensation of ₹ 10 lakh for each of the families who lost their dear ones, ₹ 2.5 lakh to those who suffered serious injuries while, ₹ 50,000 for those who suffered minor.
After hearing about the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reviewed the situation and expressed his grief over the loss of lives. He also announced ₹ 2 lakh to the families who lost their kin and ₹ 50,000 to the injured.
