Driver blamed for Tamil Nadu train crash, 10 dead

[1]

Railway officials probing Tuesday night's Tamil Nadu train mishap, which has claimed at least 10 lives and injured over 80, have hinted at driver error as the cause of the crash.

Tuesday's crash saw a Chennai Beach-Vellore electric multiple unit (EMU) train smash into the Arakkonam-Katpadi passenger train, waiting for a signal near the Chitheri station around 9.30 p.m. Five bogies of the stationary train and three of the EMU were derailed near Arakkonam, about 85 kms from Chennai city.

"Initial reports suggest that the driver may have jumped the signal," Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, who visited the scene, told reporters.

Southern Railway general manager Deepak Krishnan said the driver, who survived the crash, had ignored speed restrictions close to the station.

"He passed a few signals and then jumped out of the train and injured himself," Krishnan said. "It is very difficult (to know what happened), we will find out the details."

"Driver of the EMU train's blood samples have been collected to find out whether he was under the influence of liquor," another official added.

All the fatalities and injured passengers have been freed from the mangled wreckage by the morning, and engineers were working in heavy monsoon rains to repair the damaged track. The injured have been taken to the Government General Hospital in Chennai.

"I heard a loud noise but did not know what happened. There was no light and there was smoke all around. First we though it was a bomb blast," Ramamurthy, 49, said.

"I heard the sound and in a flash I found myself lying on the track. Then co-passengers helped me," he said after being taken to the local public hospital.

The line between the port city of Chennai and the town of Vellore was due to be re-opened by Wednesday evening.

Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi who left for the accident site on Wednesday morning announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs.5 lakh for the dead, Rs.1 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs.25,000 for the others.