Tragic Train Accident in Andhra Pradesh Claims 13 Lives

On Sunday, two passenger trains collided in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, resulting in the death of at least 13 people and leaving around 50 injured. A rescue operation was quickly launched, with hundreds of emergency workers working to clear the wreckage. Preliminary investigations suggest that the collision was a result of human error. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and assured that he was in contact with the railways minister. The incident occurred in the Vizianagaram district in the evening. According to officials, three carriages of a passenger train traveling between Visakhapatnam and Palasa derailed after being hit by another incoming train. The first train had seemingly stopped on the tracks due to a break in an overhead cable, leading to the second train colliding into it from behind. Numerous ambulances, doctors, nurses, and rescue personnel were dispatched to the scene to save passengers and recover bodies. Biswajit Sahu, Chief Public Relations Officer of East Coast Railway, explained that the collision was caused by the second train overshooting a signal due to human error. As a result of the accident, 33 trains were canceled and 22 were rerouted. It is expected that the affected track will be cleared by Monday evening to resume regular traffic. Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, plans to visit the accident site and has announced financial compensation for the victims. This incident highlights the need for improvements in India's railway infrastructure, as the country possesses one of the largest train networks in the world. The collision follows a tragic crash a few months ago in Odisha, where three trains collided, resulting in the deaths of 292 individuals and injuring thousands. The country's leading detective agency has arrested three railway employees in connection to that accident, the most severe in two decades.