Eleven coaches of the Muzaffarpur – Yeshwantpur Express bound for Yesvantpur derailed at Sitheri near Arakkonam, in the state of Tamil Nadu on April 10, 2013. The mishap has killed two people and has injured fifty other passengers.
The injured have been taken to nearby hospitals by a rescue team from the Southern Railways. One of the railways officials said, “As far as the information we have received, two persons lost their lives when 11 bogies of Muzafarpur – Yashwantpur Express derailed at Chitheri around 6 am today”.
Due to the incident, the railway traffic on the Arokkonam junction has been disrupted. The incident occurred when the Chennai Beach – Vellor Cantonment Mainline Unit train rammed into the Arakkonam – Katpadi passenger from behind, as it was waiting for a signal at Sitheri Station. Senior Railway Officials from Chennai have arrived at the accident site and have held preliminary inquiries on the cause of the mishap.
Many trains have been cancelled by the Southern Railway, including the Bangalore bound Brindavan Express, the Duronto Express which runs between Chennai-Coimbatore and the Kovai Express. Other trains which have also been cancelled include the Inter-City Express, Trivandrum Express and West Coast Express. People who are looking for help can call on the helpline numbers 9244919572, 044-25357398, 044-25330823.
