Vishakapattanam(DC):Ten people were run over and an equal number injured by a speeding train near Vizianagaram town Saturday evening, a railway official said.

According to East Coast railway spokesperson, some of the passengers of Bokaro Express (Alleppy to Dhanbad), proceeding to Bokaro Steel city, pulled the chain at the railway yard at Gotlam station near Vizianagaram town when they heard a rumour that a compartment of the train was on fire and jumped out on the tracks at around 6.50pm.

As it was dark, they did not see Rayagada-Vijaywada passenger train coming from the opposite direction on the adjacent track and were run over, he said.
“The passengers pulled the chain as rumours spread that one of the compartments (of Bokaro Express) had caught fire. As it was dark, they did not notice the oncoming train”, the railway official said.

Senior railway officials have left for the spot, the spokesperson added.
Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge termed the incident as “most tragic” and instructed the officials to ensure the injured get speedy treatment. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy expressed anguish over the accident. Reddy, who was in Bengaluru, spoke to the district Collector and the SP over phone and asked them to supervise the relief operations, an official release said in Hyderabad.

Those killed included women and children. Since many dead bodies lay mangled on the rail track, it is feared that the number of casualties may go up. The injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana, who hails from Vizianagaram district, spoke to higher officials over phone and asked them to provide necessary help to the injured and the families of those who died in the accident.