The South Central Railway (SCT) has ordered a high-level inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Central Circle into the cause of the tragic fire accident this morning.
The rescue teams have retrieved 28 bodies, including 19 male, 6 female and three children from ill-fated S-11 coach, a release said this evening. In addition, four more bodies in unrecognisable condition have been recovered from the coach, the release said.
The fire broke out in S-11 Coach, situated fifth from the rear of the New Delhi-Chennai-Tamil Nadu Express near Nellore Railway station. The fire was noticed by Nellore Station Master while it was passing through and the train was brought to a halt immediately between Nellore and Vedayapalem stations.
The fire was brought under control by 0520 hrs.
The remaining coaches of the train were isolated and the unaffected portion was rushed Chennai and the burnt coach cleared to Nellore Station.
Normal train traffic on the Nellore-Gudur section was restored and the trains regulated on the section started running by 0745 hrs. Due to the accident, six passenger trains have been fully cancelled and four passenger trains were partially cancelled. SCR undertook concerted efforts with the active co-operation of the state government officials to organise immediate rescue and relief measures Prompt relief measures were taken up to minimize loss of lives and to provide necessary medical attention. A Medical Relief Van and Accident Relief Train were immediately rushed to the spot from Bitragunta, while the fire brigade from Nellore reached the spot by 0440 hrs and brought the fire under control by 0520 hrs, the release claimed. Railway officials from Vijayawada Division led by Divisional Railway Manager reached the accident site to oversee the rescue and relief operations. SCR General Manager G N Asthana and other Senior officials also proceeded to the spot by a special train from Secunderabad to monitor the situation. The District Collector Sridhar, Superintedent of Police Ramana Kumar and other local officials were amongst the first to reach the spot and join the rescue and relief efforts. The Disaster Management Control Room of the Zone at Secunderabad was immediately activated and a team of Senior officers from various departments camped to constantly monitor the field situation and guide the relief operations. Help Lines were set up promptly – at Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Nellore and Warangal to enable the anxious kith and kin of the passengers to access information on the safety and condition of those travelling by the train. A special train from Chennai has been run, carrying the relatives and friends of the affected passengers, which reached Nellore station in the afternoon. Efforts are underway to identify the bodies of the deceased. Railways have announced an enhanced Ex- gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased passengers, Rs 1 lakh to those grievously injured and Rs 25,000 to the passengers with simple injuries. Railway Minister Shri Mukul Roy, Union Minister of State for Railway K H Muniyappa, Railway Board Chairman Vinay Mittal and Railway Board Member (Electrical) Khulbhushan have also rushed to Nellore to take stock of the situation and monitor the relief arrangements. They would also be visiting the injured passengers admitted in various hospitals at Nellore, the release added. UNI