12 hurt as Intercity Exp collides with MMTS train in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: In a tragic incident, two trains collided head-on at the Kacheguda railway station around 10.30 am on Monday leaving 12 with major injuries and several others with minor injuries.

The worst-affected in the accident was loco pilot Shekhar who was stuck in the mangled cabin of the Lingampalli-Falaknuma MMTS train for nearly eight hours before he could be rescued. He appeared to have suffered serious injuries and was shifted to a private hospital for treatment after first aid.

There is confusion with regard to the cause of the accident. The authorities which first said that it could have been due to signalling problem later said that they have state of art technology and hence it appears to be human failure.

Around 10.40 am, the Kurnool-Secunderabad Intercity Express with a diesel engine had slowed down near the station for signal when the Lingampally-Falaknuma MMTS train entered on to the same track and collided head on.

About six coaches of the MMTS train got derailed and a few coaches tilted horizontally and sideways due to which some passengers fell onto the ground from the train resulting in injuries.

Most of the injured passengers were in the coach next to the driver's cabin of the MMTS train. Eyewitnesses said a major tragedy was averted as the MMTS train was running slowly and the express train was almost stationary.

Following the loud thud, the railway police, local police from the police station adjacent to the station, vendors on the platforms and nearby shops and rescue teams rushed to the spot and took up rescue operations and shifted the injured to the Osmania General Hospital and other nearby hospitals.

Governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan spoke to railway authorities and the Osmania hospital doctors and asked them to provide best of the treatment. Accident relief teams, medical teams of the South Central Railway (SCR), NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) personnel, GHMC Disaster Force personnel also rushed to the spot.

Senior officials from the SCR were also stationed at the accident site for the whole day to supervise the measures. However, it was a pathetic scene to see the loco pilot whose was stuck in his seat and was seeking help to rescue him.

He was found to be stuck inside the crushed front cabin with the upper portion of the body visible. Sources said Shekhar belongs to Eluru. His family members are yet to come. Medical teams from SCR took measures to give him saline and supplied oxygen through a cylinder and mask for him to survive until teams could pull him out.

The relief teams had to conduct the operation slowly and with caution and used cold cutting equipment to cut the steel body so that the loco pilot struck inside did not get injured as using welding and other machinery could have increased the temperature inside thus affecting the drivers health. But it was hell for the driver as he had to suffer the pain and agony for about eight hours.

A high power six-member committee has been constituted to find out the exact cause of accident. BB Singh, Additional General Manager of SCR, who supervised the entire operation, said, " Prima facie it looks like the loco pilot of MMTS train overshot the signal and went ahead leading to the collision.

"Because of the incident, all trains proceeding from Kacheguda have been diverted. We would restore services as soon as we clear the tracks and restore the electric lines and systems," he said.