Thirteen coaches of the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bhagmati Express left the rails on Friday evening after the train hit a stationary goods train at Kavaraipettai station, near Chennai. Fire broke out in two of the coaches. At least 19 passengers were injured, and they were taken to a nearby hospital.
Early accounts differ on exactly how it happened. The first reports said the train’s crew felt a heavy jerk on the track. The express then moved onto a loop line and ran into the parked goods train, which stood on the same track. India Today TV quoted sources as saying the train was doing 109 km/h when the crew felt the jolt. Authorities are still investigating the cause.
Footage from the scene shows flames coming from one of the coaches as people tried to get passengers out.
The response
Doctors, ambulances, medical relief teams and senior officers were sent to the site. Reports later said all passengers had been rescued.
Southern Railway said it was moving passengers by electric multiple unit train to Chennai Central, with a fresh train readied there to carry them on to Darbhanga or other destinations. “We are also providing passengers with free food, water and snacks,” the railway said in a statement.
Traffic on the route was temporarily halted.
Helplines
The Southern Railway’s Chennai Division issued emergency numbers 044-25354151 and 044-24354995. Railway divisions in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh released their own: Gudur 08624 250795, Ongole 08592 280306, Vijayawada 0866 2571244 and Nellore 0861 2345863.
Sources
- Express train collides with goods train near Chennai, at least 19 injured
- Mysuru-Darbhanga Express train rams goods train near Chennai, 19 injured
