Death toll of train accident near the Odisha - Andhra Pradesh border rises to 39

BHUBANESHWAR: The death toll in late Saturday night's train accident near the Odisha - Andhra Pradesh border had risen to 39 by Sunday evening. Following the visit of senior Odisha Government officials, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu cutting short his trip in the North East had arrived at the site.

Nine coaches of the Hirakhand Express had been derailed after what now emerges to have been a fault with railway line plates. The affected coaches were mostly those of the Rayagada - Junagarh Link train that joins the coaches that starting from Jagdalpur reach Rayagada,in Odisha. The train met with the accident 25 km from Rayagada near a small station in AP, Kuneru.

The Director General of Odisha Police, said there was no indication of Maoists involvement in the derailment of the train, neither has any left wing extremist group claimed responsibility.

The injured are being treated to the Rayagada hospital, at a hospital in Parvathipuram, AP and some how have made it on their own in Vishakapatnam and Bhubaneswar.

The Railway Safety Commissioner under the Civil Aviation Ministry would probe the derailment starting with hearing at Rayagada on Monday.