Sunday, 13 October 2024
Sunday, 13 October 2024
A passenger train collided with a stationary goods train, causing at least 12 coaches to derail and injuring several passengers in Tamil Nadu. Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene to assist those affected by the accident.
Chief Minister M K Stalin, expressing shock, said he is monitoring rescue and relief work.
A high-level enquiry has been ordered into the incident, and at present the work to restore the track at the accident spot was going on in full swing, the railway authorities said.
The collision took place at around 8:30 PM on October 11 at Kavaraippettai railway station in the Tiruvallur district, near Chennai.
The train no 12578 Mysuru Dibrugarh Darbhanga Express with LHB coaches, after crossing Ponneri station in Tiruvallur district at 20.27 hours on October 11, was given green signal to go on. However, "while entering the Kavaraipettai station, the train crew experienced heavy jerk and instead of going into the main line as per the signal given, the train entered into the Loop/line@75kmp & hit the Goods train standing in loop line," a Southern Railway press release said.
R N Singh, General Manager of Southern Railway, said the reasons for this were a matter of investigation. Seven to eight people have suffered injuries, and there are no casualties, Singh told reporters.
By midnight, efforts were in full swing to transport stranded passengers to Dr. MGR Chennai Central railway station using MTC buses. Additionally, a special train was dispatched early Saturday morning to take affected passengers to their intended destinations, with food and water provisions provided along the way.
As restoration and rescue operations continue, a political war of words has erupted among leaders.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked the Centre over the train accident in Tamil Nadu, saying no lessons have been learnt despite many lives lost in numerous accidents and asked how many more families must be destroyed before the government wakes up.
In a post on X, Gandhi said, "The Mysuru-Darbhanga train accident mirrors the horrific Balasore accident–a passenger train colliding with a stationary goods train." "Despite many lives lost in numerous accidents, no lessons are learned. Accountability starts at the top. How many more families must be destroyed before this government wakes up," the former Congress chief said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the Centre over the train accident.
"Train accidents have become so common in the country that despite occurring one after another, neither any accountability is being fixed by the government nor any action is being taken," she said in a post in Hindi on her WhatsApp channel.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu Deputy CM urged the centre to take concrete measures to put an end to train accidents. "Union Government should take steps to stop train accidents. They have become more frequent now," he said.
Meanwhile, the Railway Board has said that no casualty has been reported so far in the passenger-freight train collision in the Ponneri-Kavarapettai section in Chennai Rail Division.
