19 injured as Mysuru-Darbhanga train derails after hitting goods train

Chennai: At least 19 people were injured after the Mysuru-Darbhanga express collided with a stationary goods train near Gummudipoondi in Tamil Nadu on Friday night, leading to derailment of about 13 coaches.

Southern Railway (SR) said the accident took place at around 8.28 pm when the express train was running at a speed of 75 km per hour. The train with LHB coaches passed the Ponneri station at 8.27 pm and had the green signal to enter Kavaraipettai station.

“…the train crew experienced heavy jerk and instead of going into the main line as per the signal given, the train entered into the Loop line and hit the goods train standing in loop line. The crew is safe,” the SR said in a statement.

While 12-13 coaches were derailed, the parcel van caught fire due to the impact of the collision. The fire was put out by Fire and Rescue services personnel.

Though the SR didn’t give the number of injured, sources in the Tamil Nadu government put the number at 19, of which 14 are major injuries, and the remaining five minor injuries.

“19 people have reported injured with fracture and other injuries. While people with major injuries are being rushed to Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai, those with minor injuries are being treated at Ponneri government hospital,” a top TN government official told DH.

The official said Tiruvallur District Collector T Prabhushankar is already at the spot, while senior officials are also rushing to oversee the rescue operations. “The situation is under control,” the official added.

Sources said the government has also placed adequate number of fire tenders at the accident site, while senior officials from the Southern Railway are on their way to Gummudipoondi.

Chief Minister M K Stalin said he has deputed Minorities Welfare Minister S M Nasser to the accident site and that a dedicated team is working on alternate arrangements for the affected passengers. “Fire and Rescue services personnel are involved in retrieving the derailed coaches from the tracks. I continue to monitor the rescue operations,” Stalin added.

Southern Railway said it is bringing all passengers of the Mysuru-Darbhanga express to Chennai Central by EMUs. Another train is being readied to at Chennai to take them further to their destinations.

The accident has led to disruption of services on the busy Chennai-Vijayawada section that connects the Tamil Nadu capital with New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Nagpur, among other cities.