26 killed in train smash

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In one of the most horrifying rail accidents in recent years, 26 people were killed — many of them burnt alive — and over 45 injured as the Hubli-Bengaluru Hampi Express rammed into a parked goods train at the Penukonda railway station in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh at 3.15 am on Tuesday. Most of the dead were charred beyond recognition in the fire that engu-lfed the coaches immediately behind the engine following the collision.

Railway officials said they could identify only 18 of the 26 victims, who were all from Karnataka. The bodies that remained to be identified were from the unreserved general bogie which saw the most casualties. Recounting the incident, Suresh Shetty of Bellary said, “I understood that something was wrong when the driver pulled the brake three times. When the train stopped with a loud bang, I jumped down only to see fellow passengers burning and screaming for help.”

Preliminary probes suggest the locomotive pilot’s negligence in overlooking the signal, which led to the accident. A case has been booked against loco pilot M.Y. Ratnam and assistant loco pilot Balraj of the train that left Hubli at 6 pm on Monday.

Five trains delayed, three cancelled
The train accident on Tuesday has resulted in delay in running of at least five trains and brought another three trains to a complete halt. Kacheguda-Bangalore Express, Nizamuddin-Bangalore Rajdhani Express, Mumbai (CST)-Bangalore Udyan Express, Machilipatnam-Yesvantpur Express and Bagalkot-Yesvantpur Basava Express were running at least three hours late, according to information received late on Tuesday.

Besides, Bangalore-Mysore Express (Train Number 16558), Mysore-Yesvantpur Express (16559) and Hindupur-Guntakal Passenger trains were cancelled on Tuesday. Mr G.K. Jalal, CPRO, South Western Railway, said, “The route between Guntakal and Bangalore has been restored and trains are running as usual. South Western Railway arranged adequate buses to ferry the stranded passengers of Hampi Express to Bangalore. Some of the passengers left by Nizamuddin-Bangalore Rajdhani Express and CST (Mumbai)-Bangalore Udyan Express (were also taken) to Bangalore city.”