On 29 October 2023, two passenger trains collided in southern India's Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh, killing at least 14 people and injuring about 50 others. Three carriages of a stationary passenger train were derailed after it was hit by another train.
Incident
On 29 October 2023, around 07:00 IST, the Visakhapatnam-Palasa Express service train stopped in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh, India due to a break in an overhead cable. It was then hit by an oncoming passenger train travelling from Visakhapatnam to Rayagada, causing three carriages to derail. The collision occurred between Kantakapalli and Alamanda railway stations resulting in severe damage to three coaches of the Palasa train, and the locomotive and two coaches of the Rayagada train. At least 14 people were killed and 50 others were injured as a result.
Response
The National Disaster Response Force team, police, and railway personnel were engaged in the rescue operation. Heavy duty cranes were deployed at the site for the removal of the wrecked coaches.
According to Biswajit Sahu, Chief Public Relations Officer of East Coast Railway, "human error" caused by "overshooting of signal" by the second train led to the collision. A preliminary probe by Indian Railways into the incident determined that the Rayagada passenger train passed two defective signals violating rules and held its driver and the assistant driver as responsible for the collision. Both crew members were among those killed.
Following the accident, 33 trains were cancelled and 22 others were diverted. Later, the railway track was repaired in 20 hours, allowing train services to resume.
The Prime Minister's Office announced compensation of INR 200,000 for the next of kin of each of the deceased and INR 50,000 to each of the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.