At least two coaches of the Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger train derailed after it was rammed by the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train near the Kantakapalli junction in Kothavalasa ‘mandal’ (block).
According to railway officials, the accident occurred at about 7 p.m. between Alamanda and Kantakapalli in the Vizianagaram-Kothavalasa railway section of Waltair Division of the East Coast Railway Zone.
Train number 08532, Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger, and 08504, Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger Special, were involved in the incident.
Overshooting of signal by the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train led to the collision. Human error is the likely reason for the accident, officials said.
Two coaches of Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger train from the rear and the loco ofVisakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train got derailed.
Local police and other officials of the district administration have 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 seen carrying the victims to the ambulances. The injured have been shifted to hospitals at Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.
State minister Botsa Satyanarayana, Collector Naga Laxmi and SP Deepika Patil are monitoring the rescue operations.
Waltair Divisional Railway Manager Saurabh Prasad and other officials of East Coast Railway have rushed to the accident site.
East Coast Railway has opened emergency helplines in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to provide information to people about the train accident.
The numbers in Bhubaneswarare 0674-2301625 and 2301525, 2303069. The helpline number at Waltair is 0891-2885914.
The helpline numbers at the Visakhapatnam railway station are: 08912746330, 08912744619, 8106053051, 8106053052, 8500041670, and 8500041671.
Other helpline numbers are Eluru – 0881-2232267, Samalkot – 0884-2327010, Rajahmundry – 08832420541, Tuni – 08854-252172, Anakapalle – 08924221698 and Gudur -9494178434
–IANS
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