Andhra train accident: Rescuers extract passengers from the wreckage in dark

Visakhapatnam: Emergency workers and local volunteers were on Sunday night searching the wreckage to rescue passengers trapped in the mangled remains of coaches after a train overshot the signal and rammed into another train in Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh on the Howrah-Chennai line.

At least eight persons died and around 32 injured were shifted to hospitals after the accident involving 08532 Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger train and 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger Special occurred at around 7 pm.

Two coaches of the Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger train from the rear and the loco of Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger which overshot the signal got derailed, railway officials said, adding that human error is suspected to have caused the accident.

Images from the site showed several crushed and overturned coaches and emergency workers struggling to rescue the injured in the dark. According to local officials, the electric lines were affected due to the crash.

Rescue and medical teams were rushed to the site from surrounding areas after the incident, officials said.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said rescue operations are underway and the injured have been shifted to hospitals.

"All passengers shifted. PM Narendra Modi Ji reviewed the situation. Spoke to the CM of Andhra Pradesh, state govt and railway teams are working in close coordination," the minister said on X.

"Ex-gratia compensation disbursement started - ₹10 Lakh in case of death, ₹2 Lakh towards grievous and ₹50,000 for minor injuries," he said in another post.

This is the most serious train accident since June 2 when over 290 people died in a three-train crash in Odisha’s Balasore district involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train.