Train mishap in AP, over 100 killed

Train mishap in AP, over 100 killed - NDTV.com: "At least 100 people were killed after a passenger train derailed and fell into a rain-swollen reservoir in Andhra Pradesh early today morning.

The engine and seven bogies of Repalle-Secunderabad passenger train derailed due to flash floods caused by bursting of a reservoir near the track.

The accident took place at 4:30 am (IST) between Ramannapet and Valligonda railway stations when most of the passengers were asleep.

Villagers were first to reach the spot and many jumped into the waters to rescue people. Several passengers swam to safety. While five badly mangled bogies were nearly submerged in the swirling waters, two others derailed on the land, in all trapping more than 200 passengers.

The general compartment, immediately after the engine had the maximum passengers.

Suresh, a survivor was saved by the rescue team and is now in a hospital in Hyderabad. But his brother-in-law Mahesh is still missing.

"I found a rod and managed to come out, but I kept calling out for my brother-in-law," said Suresh. The army, navy, railway protection force jawans and locals joined hands in carrying out rescue operations.

For the relief teams, it was a difficult task as the rain continued intermittently.

And without cranes to lift the bogies, it proved all the more difficult to reach the trapped passengers.

"We reached here at 5 am and found all of them crying for help. We tried our best to save a lot of passengers. Some people had broken their backs, many had fractured their legs," said a relief worker.

A helicopter and six boats were also pressed into the rescue operations.

Meanwhile, the Railways have announced Rs 1 lakh as ex-gratia to the family of those killed and Rs 15,000 to those injured in today's mishap.

In addition, the families of those who died can claim Rs 4 lakh from Railway Claims Tribunal. Due to the derailment, trains running between Guntur-Secunderabad have been either cancelled or diverted.

Railway officials say it will take at least 24 hours for traffic to be restored on this rail route.

Already five trains have been cancelled and six other trains to Bhubaneswar and Kolkotta have been asked to take a different route."