National Desk, 30th October: In a tragic incident, the casualty count in the Andhra Pradesh train accident has now reached 13, with the unfortunate loss of four more lives, as confirmed by the Vizianagaram Superintendent of Police on October 30.
Out of the deceased, seven individuals have already been identified, while efforts are underway to identify the remaining victims.
The accident also left 54 people injured, with 39 of them receiving medical attention at the Vizianagaram hospital, while the others were admitted to different hospitals for treatment, according to the Vizianagaram Collector.
Preliminary findings point to a potential human error as the cause of the collision, believed to be a result of the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada train overshooting a signal. This incident unfolded as two trains collided, leading to the derailment of train bogies in Vizianagaram district on Sunday.
Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, provided updates on the rescue operation. He reported that 11 coaches from the front of the 08532 Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger train have safely reached the next station, Alamanda, in Vizianagaram, while the nine rear coaches of the 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger train have been pulled back to the previous station, Kantakapalle. “Other than the derailed and affected coaches, all have been cleared from the site,” stated his post.
Vaishnaw assured that ongoing rescue operations are in progress, with all passengers successfully evacuated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reviewed the situation and communicated with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The state government and railway teams are working closely together to address this crisis.
The aftermath of this tragedy has led to disruptions in train services across India, with several trains being diverted, canceled, or short-terminated. The Ministry of Railways has released seven bulletins on this matter, providing details on all the affected train services due to the accident.
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