Driver of moving train may have jumped signal: Dinesh Trivedi

Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi has said initial reports from the accident site in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu seem to suggest that the driver of the EMU jumped the red signal. However, he was quick to add that this needs to be confirmed.

Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi has said initial reports from the accident site in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu seem to suggest that the driver of the EMU jumped the red signal. However, he was quick to add that this needs to be confirmed.

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"The driver of the train was well rested and had passed the breath analyser test," the minister said.

Dinesh Trivedi took stock of the relief and rescue operations in a late night meeting with senior railway officials at Rail Bhawan in the capital.

The railway minister said he will be visiting the accident site on Wednesday morning along with senior members of the railway board.

Mr Trivedi said the casualty figures were not yet confirmed. The chairman of the Railway Board, Vinay Mittal, however, said the initial reports put the death toll at seven.

The Railways claimed that relief and rescue operations were over and all injured passengers were taken care of and no passengers were trapped inside the train bogies.

The railway minister announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the dead, Rs 1 lakh for those seriously injured and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.