Five people including Karnataka Congress MLA died on Monday after a lorry hit Bengaluru-Nanded Express at a level crossing in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh. Two persons sustained injuries and they were shifted to hospitals in Bangalore.
The granite loaded lorry hit the AC coaches of Bengaluru-Nanded Express, train number 16594, near Madakasira of Penukonda Mandal of Anantapur district around 2:30 AM.
The AC bogie was crushed and three sleeper coaches of the train derailed in the incident. The four coaches were B-1, H1, S-1 and S-2, the South Western Railway said.
It was reported that barrier was in place but the brakes of the lorry failed after which it rammed into train.
Congress MLA Venkatesh Naik is from Devadurga constituency in Raichur district of Karnataka. Naik was also a former four-time Lok Sabha member.
The train was going to Nanded from Bengaluru.
Andhra Pradesh Information Minister P Raghunath Reddy, who hails from Anantapur district, told reporters that postmortem has been conducted on the five bodies of the victims at the Penukonda Hospital in the district.
He said that the cause of the accident, as to whether the brakes of the trolley failed or its driver was drunk or he fell asleep, would be ascertained in the investigation.
He also sought an ex gratia of more than Rs 10 lakh to the families of the victims.
Railway has also released help line numbers, Help line desk at Bangalore City Railway Station: 080 22354108, 09731666751, 080 22156553; Help line desk at Penukonda Station: 0855220244.
