Kurnool: In a major rail accident, at least 20 passengers were killed and about 60 injured when nine bogies of the Bangalore-bound Express train from Hyderabad derailed near Ramalingayapalli village in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh in the wee hours of December 21.

Fourteen bodies have been retrieved so far from one of the nine derailed bogies and the number of casualties might go up as several passengers are still trapped inside the capsized coaches, according to South Central Railway (SCR) sources.

Bogies are being cut to take out the bodies, the sources said.

The ill-fated train, which left Hyderabad at 19:00 hours (IST) on December 20 evening, was running at a speed of 80 to 100 kms per hour when nine of the 23 bogies jumped off the rails between Pendekallu and Pagidirai stations on Dronachalam-Gooty section of Guntakal division of South Central Railway (SCR) at 00:40 hours, the sources said.

Top SCR and police officials have reached the spot to supervise the massive rescue operation by joint police teams of Kurnool and Anantapur districts.

SCR has arranged a special train from Hyderabad for the relatives of the passengers to reach the accident site.

Special enquiry counters have started functioning at Hyderabad and Kachiguda railway stations to help public in furnishing updates on the accident.

Meanwhile, Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and his junior Bandaru Dattatreya, accompanied by Railway Board officials, have left New Delhi for the accident spot, the sources added.

Of the total injured in the mishap, in which the rear side bogies of the train including an AC coach were derailed, 10 persons are in serious condition, SCR sources said.

Most of the passengers were fast asleep when the tragedy occurred.

Andhra Pradesh Technical Education Minister N Anjaneyulu, who was travelling in the train, is safe, the sources said.

Arrangements are being made to render assistance to the stranded passengers, sources said, adding special buses are being arranged to shift the injured to various hospitals in Gooty, Kurnool and Anantapur.

PTI