Inferno on wheels

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Won’t rule out sabotage: CM
Reacting to the fire aboard the Tamil Nadu Express, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said on Monday that he did not rule out sabotage. Speaking to the media at Nellore station after visiting the temporary mortuary that housed the bodies, Mr Reddy said that though it was too early to comment, sabotage could not be ruled out. “Only after detailed investigation and receiving the forensic report will we know the truth,” he said.

Sympathising with the grieving families, the CM said that it he did not have any words to comfort them. He added that strict steps would be taken to make sure that such mishaps did not take place in the future. An action plan would be readied in this regard with coordination of the state and the Centre, he said.

Addressing the media at Nellore station, YSR Congress honorary president Ms Vijaya Lakshmi, meanwhile, said that the mishap had taken place due to failure of the Centre and the Railway authorities. “Each time a railway tragedy takes place, officials and ministers talk big about safety measures but nothing happens later.” She demanded an additional ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased passengers and corporate medical attention for the injured.

Nellore MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy said that he would take up the demand for getting a compensation for victims of the rail tragedy along the lines of air passengers, whose lives would be insured along with their tickets. He also spoke about “sabotage” saying, “We heard reports that even general passengers had travelled on the reserved bogie. How is it possible and what were the officials doing?”