According to the initial investigation conducted by the Indian Railways, the driver and assistant driver of the ill-fated Rayagada passenger train bear prima facie responsibility for the accident that occurred on a Sunday evening in Andhra Pradesh. Tragically, the train’s driver lost his life in the mishap.
A senior railway official disclosed that the Rayagada passenger train had overshot two defective signals placed at danger marks and subsequently collided with the Visakhapatnam Palasa train from behind. This collision resulted in the unfortunate loss of 13 lives and left dozens of passengers injured. Remarkably, this marks the third significant railway accident in recent months, following incidents in Balasore, Odisha, and Raghunathpur, Bihar.
Following the accident, the Indian Railways assembled a team of seven experts to conduct an initial investigation into the incident. After a thorough examination, which included analyzing technical data at the accident site, reviewing official statements, and inspecting data loggers, the report concluded that the driver and assistant of the Rayagada train had exceeded the signals, ignoring a defective auto signal, which is a clear violation of the railway’s safety regulations. The safety norms required trains on this line to come to a halt for two minutes at the malfunctioning auto signals before proceeding at a reduced speed. Unfortunately, the Rayagada passenger train did not adhere to this protocol, leading to the collision.
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