Chennai/Arakkonam, Sep 14 (IANS): Human error seems to have caused the train accident that killed 10 people in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said Wednesday.
The Chennai Beach-Vellore electric multiple unit (EMU) train rammed into the Arakkonam-Katpadi passenger train, waiting for a signal near the Chitheri station, around 9.30 p.m Tuesday. Five bogies of the stationary train and three of the EMU were derailed near Arakkonam, about 85 km from Chennai.
The driver of EMU train neglected the signal and over-sped, resulting in the accident, Trivedi told reporters after visiting the injured in a Chennai hospital.
EMU driver Rajkumar had operated the train after a 16-hour layover, Trivedi said. Rajkumar jumped out of the driver's cabin just before the accident and fled the spot, another official said.
Eighty-six people were injured in the accident.
Trivedi, who is accompanied by Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa and senior Railway Board officials, will visit the accident spot later Wednesday.
M. Bhoopathy, public relations officer of Southern Railway, told IANS that normal services were expected to resume by 2 p.m.
Trivedi has already announced compensation of Rs.5 lakh for the families of each of those killed, Rs.1 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs.25,000 for those with minor injuries.