Hyderabad: At least eight persons were run over by a train in Andhra Pradesh yesterday after they used the alarm chain to get off another train after rumours of a fire.
The horrific mishap occurred last evening near Gotlam, close to Vizianagaram town in north coastal Andhra, 700km from here. The toll may go up as it was dark at the time of the accident, making it hard to assess casualties.
Police said the incident occurred when some passengers of the Alappuzha-Dhanbad Express pulled the alarm chain after rumours of the train catching fire. According to eyewitnesses, they were run over by the Raigarh-Vijayawada passenger train on the adjacent track.
The dead include two women. Two passengers were injured. Railway authorities have set up a helpline at Visakhapatnam to provide information about the victims. The telephone numbers are: 0891-2843003, 2843004, 2843005.
IANS
