At least seven people were injured in a train collision last night in Tamil Nadu when the Mysuru-Darbhanga Express slammed into a stationary goods train at Kavarapettai. The express passenger train entered a loop line instead of the main line at around 8.30 pm on Friday and rammed into the parked good train. The severe collision resulted in the derailment of 12 bogies of the passenger train.
Describing the chaos, one of the passengers said that no one understood what had happened when they heard the loud noise, and soon after the train overturned.
"We were on the train when suddenly there was a loud noise, and no one understood what had happened. After about five minutes, when we looked outside, we saw the train had overturned, and there was complete chaos," the passenger told news agency PTI.
"Some coaches were on fire, and others had derailed. We quickly went to a nearby local station. We are safe and unharmed," he added.
Fortunately, no deaths were reported, but seven passengers suffered injuries, with three grievously injured admitted to Stanley Medical College Hospital and four treated at Government Hospital, Ponneri.
{{/usCountry}}Fortunately, no deaths were reported, but seven passengers suffered injuries, with three grievously injured admitted to Stanley Medical College Hospital and four treated at Government Hospital, Ponneri.
{{/usCountry}}There were over 1,300 passengers on board, all except the injured left for Darbhanga on a special train on Saturday.
Investigation and Response
A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Commissioner of Railway Safety, A M Chowdhary, conducted a statutory inspection of the accident site, assisted by senior Southern Railway officials.
Southern Railway General Manager, RN Singh, explained the collision, stating, "It was not supposed to stop here (Kavaraipettai station), so it was to pass through it. After leaving Chennai, green signals were given for this train. The driver was following the signals correctly, but the train should have taken the main line. Instead, it took the loop line at the switch, which is where the error occurred."
But it is still not known why the train did not enter the main line.
Video: Mysuru–Darbhanga Bagmati Express Collides With A Goods Train In Tamil Nadu
"While entering the Kavarapettai station, the train crew experienced a heavy jerk, and instead of going into the main line as per the signal given, the train running at a speed of 75 kmph entered into a loop line. It hit a goods train stationed on the loop line from behind," a Southern Railways official said.
Railway operations affected
The incident has impacted train schedules, with several trains rescheduled or diverted. Track restoration work is still underway, with senior railway officials overseeing the efforts.
Railway doctors conducted medical screenings for passengers before boarding the special train. Ex-gratia payments were provided to injured passengers as per norms.
An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the collision and prevent similar incidents in the future.