Of the nine compartments of the 22-coach Hirakhand Express, worst hit were S8 and S9. Bodies were trapped inside the highly mangled bogies and rescue teams had to use gas cutters to retrieve them. Overall, two AC, four sleeper coaches (S6, S7, S8 and S9), two general compartments, the engine and guard room-cum-luggage van derailed on Saturday, 45 minutes after the Hirakhand Express left Rayagada station. Most victims had boarded at Rayagada. Eight of the deceased were from Vizianagaram district. Passengers with critical injuries were admitted to hospitals in Rayagada and Visakhapatnam.
The impact of the derailment was so severe that the engine of Hirakhand Express hit a stationary goods train on a parallel track. The goods train had been halted to allow the express train to pass. Officials said the toll would have been higher had the express not hit the goods and stopped. This prevented coaches in the rear from jumping off the track.
The express train driver DN Rao, his assistant V Meena as well as the guard of the goods train, L Lakshmana Rao, had a miraculous escape.
A relief van from Visakha patnam carrying senior officials, engineering and medical staff arrived at the spot within two hours of the mishap. But the gravity of the accident can be gauged from the fact that it took almost 12 hours for the rescue team to retrieve bodies from the mangled coaches.
Bloodstains were seen all over. Some of the victims were disfigured beyond recognition and relatives identified them by their clothes or personal belongings. Most of the victims had multiple fractures. It was utter chaos and commotion for almost seven hours due to darkness. Some of the victims were in deep sleep when the train derailed. The air was rent with wails as relatives searched for their dear ones.
The unaffected coaches were later sent to Bhubanes war via Rayagada. Train services were badly affected in the area, but the main line between Visakhapatnam and Howrah was spared.
East Coast Railway (ECR) general manager Umesh Singh said there was a sharp cut in the rail tracks at the accident spot. ECR official spokesperson JP Mishra said he would not rule out any angle, including sabotage, and added that an inquiry will be held on Monday at Rayagada.AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and ordered a CID probe. The CID will look into sabotage angle. The Railways announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia to the kin of each victim. Railway minister Suresh Prabhu also rushed to the spot and supervised rescue and relief operations.
Bloodstains were seen all over. Some of the victims were disfigured beyond recognition and relatives identified them by their clothes or personal belongings. Most of the victims had multiple fractures. It was utter chaos and commotion for almost seven hours due to darkness. Some of the victims were in deep sleep when the train derailed. The air was rent with wails as relatives searched for their dear ones.
The unaffected coaches were later sent to Bhubanes war via Rayagada. Train services were badly affected in the area, but the main line between Visakhapatnam and Howrah was spared.
East Coast Railway (ECR) general manager Umesh Singh said there was a sharp cut in the rail tracks at the accident spot. ECR official spokesperson JP Mishra said he would not rule out any angle, including sabotage, and added that an inquiry will be held on Monday at Rayagada.AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and ordered a CID probe. The CID will look into sabotage angle. The Railways announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia to the kin of each victim. Railway minister Suresh Prabhu also rushed to the spot and supervised rescue and relief operations.
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