Andhra Pradesh chief minsiter sends teams to Odisha to carry out rescue operations

Jagan held a meeting with chief minister office (CMO) officials and reviewed the situation. He directed them to be in touch with the Odisha CMO and the railway officials.

Hyderabad

CM Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed officials to make arrangements in hospitals in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam districts to treat the injured and keep the ambulances available. (PTI)

As many as 571 passengers from Andhra Pradesh were on board the two trains – Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, that met with an accident near Bahanaga railway station in Odisha on Friday night, the Andhra Pradesh government announced on Saturday.

“Of them, 482 passengers were travelling in Coromandel Express and 89 in Bengaluru-Howrah express and they were supposed to get down at different stations in Andhra Pradesh,” state education minister Botsa Satyanarayana told reporters in the evening.

He said, 309 passengers of the total passengers travelling in Coromandel Express were supposed to get down at Visakhapatnam. Of those, 11 people have been injured and the whereabouts of other 76 passengers is not known, while the remaining passengers are safe.

Similarly, 31 passengers travelling via Coromandel Express were supposed to get down at Rajahmundry. Of them, 22 are safe and the whereabouts of nine other passengers is ye tot be traced. Another 137 passengers were to get down at Vijayawada, of those, seven passengers have injuries and whereabouts of 28 passengers is not known, while others are safe.

“The details of 89 passengers of Andhra Pradesh travelling in Bengaluru-Howrah express are not yet known. We are expecting the information by Sunday morning,” the minister said.

The Waltair Division of the East Coast Railways zone has set up three helplines at Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam for relief. The helpline numbers set up are: Visakhapatnam (0891 - 2746330 & 0891 – 2744619), Vizianagaram (08922 - 221202 & 08922 – 221206), and Srikakulam (08942 – 286213 and 08942 – 286245).

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of IT minister G Amarnath, to visit the Odisha accident site, to help in the coordination of relief and rescue operations.

Jagan held a meeting with chief minister office (CMO) officials and reviewed the situation. He directed them to be in touch with the Odisha CMO and the railway officials.

“Establish enquiry and grievance cells in the offices of the district collectors to deal with grievances and respond immediately,” an official release from CMO quoting Jagan said.

Further, the chief minister instructed officials to make arrangements in hospitals in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam districts to treat the injured and keep the ambulances available.

Amarnath told reporters that the officials are overseeing relief and rescue operations. Stating that control rooms are being set up in districts, the minister said the officials are identifying the passengers who are not responding to the mobile phone calls. “Most of the Telugu passengers were travelling from Kharagpur and Shalimar,” he said.

The South Central Railway (SCR) has either cancelled, diverted or rescheduled several trains following the major train accident in Balasore, Odisha. SCR has also opened help line numbers across Andhra Pradesh.