HYDERABAD, 22 December 2002 — At least 20 people were killed and 100 injured when nine of the 23 bogies of a Bangalore-bound train derailed at Ramalingaipalli village near Gooty town in Andhra Pradesh early yesterday.
South Central Railway (SCR) spokesman Michael Fredericks said the Kachiguda-Bangalore Express, which was traveling at a speed of 90 km/hour, derailed between Pendekallu and Pagidirai stations on Dronachalam/Gooty section of Guntakal division.
The train left Kachiguda station, Hyderabad, at 1900 IST on Friday and was scheduled to reach its destination in 12 hours. At around 0040 IST, the engine and two bogies derailed, followed by seven other coaches. The injured were shifted to hospitals at Guntakal and Kurnool, the official said.
“The train took a sharp turn in the night and we fell down with great force, not knowing what had happened,” passenger Pervez Banu said.
Another passenger, Surendranath Modi, a college principal was on his way to Bangalore to visit his daughter. “It was around one in the night when I tumbled from my middle berth. The next thing I felt was the blood on my face,” he said.
Andhra Pradesh Technical Education Minister Nerella Anjaneyulu and several legislators, who were in the train, were reported to be safe.
“Relief and rescue operations are in full swing. Arrangements have been made to send the stranded passengers to Bangalore or Hyderabad through RTC buses and special trains,” the official added.
Union Minister of State for Railways Bandaru Dattatreya, SCR General Manager S.M. Singla and other officials rushed to the site. Relief vans from Gooty and Secunderabad, carrying doctors and paramedical staff, had also reached the spot. The railway authorities in Bangalore and Hyderabad also despatched relief trains.
Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said in Patna that a statutory inquiry had been ordered into the accident.
He announced an ex-gratia of 100,000 rupees to the kin of the dead, 15,000 rupees to those with serious injuries and 5,000 rupees to those with minor injuries. He did not rule out sabotage. “At present we are not in a position to say anything about the prima facie evidence collected by the concerned railway officials.”
Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi expressed “deep shock” at the incident and conveyed her condolences to the relatives of the victims.
