Train driver jumps signal,25 killed

Collision: Hampi Express on way to Bangalore rams into stationary goods train at a station near Anantapur

At least 25 people were killed and over 40 injured when the Bangalore-bound Hampi Express rammed into the rear of a stationary goods train at Penakonda railway station near Anantapur in the early hours of Tuesday,reportedly after the driver overshot a signal.

The Railway Ministrys internal assessment indicated that the driver,M Y Ratnam,57,was perhaps sleeping. Ratnam and his assistant jumped from the train just before the collision. While both survived,the condition of the co-driver was reported to be serious. Police are waiting for the two to recover to take their statement.

As many as 18 of the deaths occurred in the ladies compartment adjoining the engine,which caught fire on impact,leaving a number of the victims charred. The other seven died in the adjacent general compartment.

Most of the victims were people from the Lambani Scheduled Tribe travelling to Bangalore to work on construction sites or to Tamil Nadu to work in cane fields,from drought-hit parts.

Anantapur DIG Charu Sharma said it appeared that the driver of the Hubli-Bangalore-Mysore Hampi Express did not wait for the signal and the train,travelling at about 40 km per hour,collided with the goods train at around 3.15 am. Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena also corroborated this in Delhi.

Quick action by the Anantapur police,whose teams led by three deputy superintendents rushed to the accident site,is believed to have saved several passengers.

Railway Minister Mukul Roy,who visited the spot along with Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa,announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased,Rs 1 lakh for those who sustained grievous injuries and Rs 50,000 to those who received minor injuries.

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Calling it a very sad incident,Roy said: The Railways is trying to introduce TPW (Train Protection Warning) system. He said relatives of victims who wanted to join the Railways would be given jobs.

The Karnataka government announced Rs 1 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 25,000 each for the injured.

Commissioner Railway Safety (Southern Circle) S K Mittal will conduct a statutory inquiry and has been asked to submit a report at the earliest.

In a report,station master of Penakonda railway station Sampath Raju said the Hampi Express and Nanded Express,both travelling to Bangalore,were scheduled to cross Penakonda at the same time at around 3 am on Tuesday. The Nanded Express was to go first on line 1 followed by the Hampi Express.

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However,according to the report,the driver of the Hampi Express,despite the stop signal ahead of the station,moved towards the Penakonda station at around 3.08 am and took line 2 where a goods train was parked,resulting in the crash.

From a preliminary analysis it is clear that human error is responsible and that there was nothing wrong from the signalling side, railway officials said.