Driver overlooked signal,speeded

TN collision: Toll touches 10,nearly 100 injured,probe ordered

Preliminary investigations into the train accident at the Chitteri railway station in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday night have revealed that the driver of the passenger train that rammed into a stationary train jumped out moments before the collision. Railway officials also said the driver overlooked the signal and did not adhere to the speed restrictions,which resulted in the accident.

Officials said the driver,A Rajkumar,was seriously injured and was in a state of shock in a Chennai hospital. A breath analyser test showed that he was not under the influence of alcohol.

Officials said the death toll in the accident reached 10 on Wednesday and was expected to rise. About 100 people were injured,some of them critically. Nine people were killed at the spot and a woman succumbed to injuries at the hospital on Wednesday,officials said.

We have to inquire whether he dozed off and woke up just minutes before the accident took place. His work log says that before reporting for this duty he had rest for 15-16 hours. That is sufficient, said a senior railway official.

Officials said as the Chennai Beach-Vellore Cantonment train was a Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit,it did not have a co-loco pilot. It crashed into the Arakkonam-Katpadi train around 9.40 pm on Tuesday.

The collision derailed three coaches of the passenger train and four of the MEMU,trapping several passengers inside. Even as the authorities launched massive rescue efforts,heavy showers made it very difficult to proceed.

Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi,who met the driver and his family members at the hospital in Chennai,said it was too early to blame anyone for the mishap. He added that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol. A comprehensive probe has been ordered as it was found that the signal system was working properly.

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He announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased,Rs 1 lakh to those seriously injured and 25,000 to those who suffered simple injuries in the accident at Chitteri.

Commissioner of Railway Safety S K Mittal has been asked to hold an inquiry into the accident. The railways has also asked for help from any member of the public having any knowledge relating to the accident and provide any evidence related to the case. The CRS will also record the statement of the injured driver.