Thirteen passengers have been killed and more than 40 others injured when a passenger train overshoot the signal to hit another passenger train in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday night, officials said.
At least two coaches of Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger train derailed after it was rammed into by Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger near Kantakapalli junction in Kothavalasa mandal (block).
According to railway officials, the accident occurred at about 7 p.m. between Alamanda and Kantakapalli in Vizianagaram-Kottavalasa railway section of Waltair division of the East Coast railway zone.
Train number 08532 Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger and 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger Special got involved in this incident.
Overshooting of signal by Visakhapatnam- Rayagada passenger train led to the collision. Human error is the likely reason for the accident, officials added.
Two coaches of Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger train from the rear and the loco of Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger got derailed.
Local police and other officials of the district administration launched rescue and relief operation. There was darkness at the accident site, which made the rescue operation difficult.
As ambulances could not reach the accident site, the rescue workers were carrying them to the ambulances. The injured were shifted to hospitals at Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.
Vizianagaram District Collector Naga Laxmi said 32 injured were admitted to Government General Hospital at Vizianagaram. One person each has been admitted to Visakha NRI and Medicover hospitals.
All the injured are from Andhra Pradesh. The condition of four of them was critical while one of the critically injured shifted to Visakhapatnam.
State Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, Collector Naga Laxmi and Superintendent of Police Deepika Patil were monitoring rescue operations.
Waltair Divisional Railway Manager Saurabh Prasad and other officials of East Coast Railway rushed to the accident site.
Accident relief trains and other rescue equipment have been engaged and helpline numbers have been issued.