Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has said that ex gratia will be given to injured and kin of dead in Bangalore-Nanded express accident.
Anil Saxena, PRO, Railways, said that Prabhu was monitoring the situation adding that some trains on south central and south western railway lines had been diverted.
Earlier on Sunday, five people including Karnataka Congress legislator from Devadurg, Venkatesh Naikhave, were killed and eight others injured after a lorry collided with the Bangalore-Nanded Express in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district on Monday morning.
Local administration with the help of police have launched the rescue operations.
While three killed were passengers of the train, the remaining two included the driver and the cleaner of the lorry.
According to reports, the lorry, which was carrying granite, lost control and collided with the gate of the level crossing before hitting the railway gate and a coach of the Bangalore-Nanded Express.
The accident took place around 2.20 am at a level crossing at Madakasira in Penukonda Mandal of Anantpur district. Three coaches of the train are also said to have derailed and the movement on the Bengaluru-Guntakal route affected.
In 2013, a fire in the same rain had killed more than 25 people. Incidentally that accident too had taken place in Anantpur district after one of the AC coaches caught fire killing 26 people.
Bangalore-Nanded express train accident: Helpline numbers at the accident spot-09701374062,09493548005,09448090399,00873763945549
Helpline desk at Bangalore Railway station for Bangalore-Nanded express train accident-
08022354108,0731666751, 08022156553