Hyd: 16 hurt as 2 trains collide, driver critical

HYDERABAD: Sixteen passengers were injured, and a 31-year-old driver was in critical condition, after a local train rammed into a stationary express train at Kacheguda railway station in Hyderabad on Monday, railway officials said.

The incident happened around 10.30 am, when the local train, a Multi-modal Transport System (MMTS) service travelling from Falaknuma to Lingampalli, collided with Hundri Inter-city Express between Kurnool and Secunderabad, stationed on the same track.

The driver, identified as Sekhar, sustained severe injuries after he was stuck in a mangled cabin of the MMTS train for more than four hours. The cabin had to be cut to rescue Sekhar, said officials. South Central Railway additional general manager BB Singh said the accident took place due to human error. However, he added, a high-level panel has been set up to probe the matter.

A railway official, who was present at the spot, said wrong signalling could be the reason for the accident. “It was given a green signal to arrive on platform No 2 in the Kacheguda railway station, but there was already another train standing. The MMTS train, which was slowing down as it was approaching the railway station, rammed into the Inter-city Express, just a few metres away from the platform,” he said.

The injured were admitted to Osmania General Hospital. “All 16 are all out of danger. Six were discharged, three suffered fractures, while remaining are under observation,” said hospital Superintendent Dr B Nagender.