'Loco pilot, assistant were busy watching cricket on phone'; Railway minister reveals real cause that led to 2023 Andhra train crash

NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday revealed the cause of the October 29, 2023 train accident that killed a total of 14 passengers. Much to the shock, the railway minister revealed that the loco pilot and his assistant were heedlessly watching cricket on their phone which led to the tragedy.

The accident took place on October 29 in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. The Rayagada passenger train rammed behind the Visakhapatnam Palasa train at around 7 pm, injuring more than 50 passengers and killing 14.

The Union Minister mentioned the Andhra train accident while talking about the new safety measures being implemented by the Indian Railway Ministry. The accident in Andhra was caused by the fact that the loco pilot and co-pilot of one of the trains were watching a cricket match on their phones, revealed the minister.

“The ministry is planning to set up a new mechanism to monitor such negligence. This is to ensure that the pilot and the assistant pilot are fully focused on driving the train,'' the minister said.

Meanwhile, the investigation report of the Andhra train accident is yet to come out. The investigation found that the Rayagada passenger train Loco pilot and his assistant were responsible for the accident after they violated a few auto signals and rammed forward at top speed. Both the loco pilot and his assistant were killed in the accident.