Six dead in freak railway mishap in India's Tamil Nadu

Chennai, Apr 29 (PTI) In a freak accident, two persons
unauthorisedly ran an electric train for about seven kms
unnoticed before ramming it into a goods train, in which they
and four other passengers were killed and 11 others injured
near Vyasarpadi Jeeva station in the northwestern suburbs here
in the capital of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu.

As the Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) parked in the
Moore Market complex was about to be moved by the two persons,
some passengers boarded the train believing it was a regular
service, Railway sources said.

Southern Railway spokesperson M Bupathy said in a
release here that an "empty rake was started from Moore Market
Complex by unauthorised miscreants".

Acting General Manager of Southern Railway M S
Jayanth said the train was parked in the Moore Market complex
and was scheduled to leave for Tiruvallur at 0515 hours. But
some unauthorised persons took the train earlier and guided it
on the wrong track before colliding head-on with a goods train
at Vyasarpadu Jeeva station.

How it happened is a matter of inquiry, Jayanth said.
On seeing the fast approaching EMU towards them, two
drivers of the goods train jumped off the locomotive.

While two compartments of the EMU were destroyed in a
fire that was triggered by the collision, the rest with a few
passengers were thrown off the tracks.

India's Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said the accident
would be probed.

A total of 11 people, including five passengers of the
train, had suffered injuries. The rest were standing on the
platform, Bupathy said.

Five persons sustained grievous injuries, he said,
adding, the injured were being treated at Railway Hospital,
Perambur and Government Hospital in the city.

"An inquiry to establish further details regarding the
accident has been ordered," he said.

Railway officials at the accident spot said the speed
instrument of the EMU showed it had clocked 91 km/h at the
time of mishap.

Some bodies were believed to be trapped inside the
train, railway sources said adding fire and rescue services
personnel were using welding equipment to break open some
mangled compartments.

People living near the tracks were also helping the
injured.

Railway tracks at the Jeeva station were twisted due
to the impact of the collision.

Following the accident, traffic has been affected on
the Chennai-Arakonam route and many in-bound and out-bound
trains from Chennai Central have been rescheduled. PTI SA
PMR
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