Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 2 : Two coaches of the 20810 Nanded-Sambalpur Express derailed at Vizianagaram Station Yard on Wednesday. The train resumed its journey after the affected coaches were detached, officials from the Waltair division confirmed.
According to Waltair division officials, the wheels of the General Seating (GS) coach, located next to the Sitting cum Luggage Rake (SLR) at the rear of the train, derailed at Vizianagaram Station Yard while the train was departing at approximately 11:56 am on Wednesday.
Officials confirmed that the train, minus the GS and SLR coaches, left the station at 12:47 pm with all passengers on board. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the train was moving at a very slow speed when the incident occurred. After the affected coaches were detached and necessary safety checks were conducted, the train continued its journey.
Authorities also stated that the Downline (Visakhapatnam-Palasa) has already been restored, and train services are running as per schedule on both the up and Down lines. Refreshments and water were provided to passengers.
Earlier, on March 30, 11 coaches of the 12551 Bangalore-Kamakhya AC Superfast Express derailed near Nergundi Station in Odisha, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries.
"One person has died in the incident...8 people injured needed a referral and have been shifted...An inquiry is being done into the incident," Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, District Magistrate, told reporters.
Following the derailment, a total of 209 passengers traveling on the Bangalore-Kamakhya AC Superfast Express were transferred to a special train and reached Kamakhya railway station late Monday night.
Raju Yadav, a staff member aboard the train, described the chaos during the derailment. "We were coming here from Bengaluru. We were in the pantry to prepare the meals. We heard a loud noise and there was smoke everywhere. The entire pantry was also ruined. We went out and saw that 11 coaches of the train had derailed. There was chaos. We rescued a few people. Andhra Police, DRM and the station master reached the spot and provided us with food and water. 5 to 6 hours later, we were given this special train to reach our destination. A lot of people have been injured. One person died; they fell in a ditch, and we recovered their body from there," he said.