Even as investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of ghastly collision involving the Bagmati Express and a stationary goods train at Kavarapettai late on Friday, railway personnel are engaged in clearing and restoring the track for resumption of rail traffic on a war footing.
Teams of Tamil Nadu Police, Railway Protection Force and the National Investigation agency have descended at the accident site, 90 km north of Chennai close to the Andhra Pradesh border. The local pilot of Bagmati Express, Subramani, and the station Master at Kavarapettai were initially questioned to ascertain how the train got into the loop line and whether there was any human failure.
A yet another signal failure, the accident occurred when the superfast train from Mysuru with about 1300 passengers on board, heading to Darbhanga via Chennai, entered the loop line at Kavarapettai where a goods train was stationed.
At the time of the collision with the rear of the goods train, Bagmati express was moving at a speed of 76 km. Of the 13 bogies which derailed, three caught fire under the impact of the collision. The train crew is safe and there is no fatality.
However, 19 people were injured and of them three are being treated at the Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai for fracture and seven at the Ponneri GH.
The police have collected nuts and bolts which were found scattered at the collision site to study whether it was due to the accident or due to any mischief. A sniffer dog was also pressed into service to find out if there is any conspiracy. “Absence of ‘Kavach’ is not the reason for the collision. It is not correct. The investigation is on and we can come to a conclusion only after it is complete,” Commissioner of Railway Safety AM Choudhary told the media at the accident site.
The Railway has announced completion of rescue works and is focusing on track restoration. “The track will be ready for rail traffic on Monday. The restoration works will be completed by 9 pm tonight. Normal traffic will be restored and all trains will run on this route,” said RN Singh, Southern Railway General Manager, who did not elaborate on signal failure. Passengers of Bagmati train were taken to Chennai Central Railway Station by buses arranged by the Tamil Nadu Government and an alternative train has been arranged for their onward journey.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin have slammed the BJP-led Union Government for the frequent train accidents. “The Musuru-Darbhanga train accident mirrors the horrific Balasore accident … Despite many lives lost in numerous accidents, no lessor are learnt. Accountability starts at the top. How many more lives must be destroyed before this government wakes up?” Rahul Gandhi wrote on ‘X’.
Visiting the accident site within hours on Friday night, Udhayanidhi met the injured at the hospital and coordinated the rescue efforts. “Train accidents have become a sequel. The Union Government should take necessary urgent steps to ensure rail safety,” he told the media.