BackAndhra train fire: forensic experts begin investigations
Forensic experts start collecting evidence from Bangalore-Nanded Express; 20 bodies identified
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Hyderabad/Bangalore: Forensic experts on Sunday began examining and collecting evidence from the AC coach of the Bangalore-Nanded Express that caught fire on Saturday killing 26 people in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur.
As a part of the investigation to determine the cause of the fire, a 13-member team from the AP Forensic Science Laboratory (APFSL) started sample collection, Anantpur DSP S. Senthil Kumar told PTI over the phone.
A devastating fire ripped through an AC coach of the Bangalore-Nanded Express, near the Kothacheruvu railway station, charring 26 people to death, including two children and leaving 13 others injured.
Based on preliminary reports, AP Police had earlier said that the cause of the fire may be a short-circuit near the air-conditioning unit.
As many as 20 bodies were identified and eight of them have been handed over to relatives. “The bodies of 20 people, who were charred to death in a devastating fire in Bangalore-Nanded Express train, have been identified," Railways commercial manager Ramesh told PTI in Bangalore.
The unidentified bodies have been sent for DNA test, Ramesh said. “These tests take a minimum of 48 hours or more, depending upon doctors. We request the families of the deceased to come forward for identifying the bodies charred in the train mishap," he said. The bodies were brought to government-run Victoria Hospital in Bangalore on Saturday evening.
Railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge had announced an ex-gratia of ₹ 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, ₹ 1 lakh for grievous injuries and ₹ 50,000 for simple injuries.
This was the second train mishap in Anantapur district after last year’s train tragedy in March in which 25 passengers were killed near Penukonda when the Bangalore-bound Hampi Express rammed into a stationary goods train after the driver apparently overshot the signal near the station.
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