At least 12 people were injured when an MMTS train hit an Inter-City Express train in Kachiguda station on Monday morning.
According to an official of the South Central Railway, the accident took place when a Lingampalli-Falaknuma MMTS local train (train no 47178) hit the Kurnool-Handri Inter-City Express (train no 17028) which was waiting on the same track at the Kachiguda station for its signal to leave.
The impact of the collision led to three bogies of the MMTS train getting derailed and about 15 passengers getting injured, including the inter-city train driver. The injured were shifted to a Kachiguda hospital immediately.
The MMTS engine cabin was also crushed in the impact, and the loco pilot of the train, Chandrashekhar, 35, was stuck in the bogie after the collision for eight hours, extricated finally from the mangled mess at around 6:30 pm after elaborate rescue operations by the NDRF and the RPF, involving gas cutters.
According to sources, Chandrashekhar, admitted to a hospital, is stable and has not suffered any major injuries.
SCR officials said that the severity of the accident was minor as both the trains were moving slowly and were within the station limits. Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav nevertheless rushed to the accident site and enquired about the accident and the rescue operations.
All trains plying on the route were suspended till the evening hours. Railway officials are conducting an inquiry to understand whether the accident was the result of a human error or a signal failure.
filed in:Accidents, Train Accidents, South Central Railway