Outside the mortuary at the Government General Hospital in Vizianagaram, family members of those killed in Sunday’s train accident at Kantakapalle sit together in silence, struggling to come to terms with the devastating tragedy that tore their lives apart hours before.
Many of those who were killed in the train accident that occurred at Kantakapalli on Sunday were daily labourers, who used to commute to and from work on the Palasa Passenger for years. In the absence of economic activity and income opportunities in their hometowns of Garividi, Cheepurupalli (Vizianagaram district) and G. Sigadam (Srikakulam district), they used to travel on this train to Visakhapatnam to work at construction sites.
One of the deceased passengers, Karanam Appalanaidu, 35, hailing from Kapusambham village, would board the Palasa Passenger (58531) at Garividi at 7.41 a.m. and catch the return train (58532) at 8.27 p.m., coming back home to his wife and two children. This had been his regular routine for years. Appalanaidu’s long association with the Palasa Passenger came to an abrupt, unexpected end on Sunday.
Majji Ramu of Gadabavalasa village also faced a similar fate. Along with Appala Naidu, Ramu too was killed on the spot as one train rammed into the other.
“All of them preferred to find work in Visakhapatnam rather than Vizianagaram as they were able to earn up to ₹800 per day. The Palasa passenger train offered them a convenient and affordable way to commute to and from their village. Sunday’s grisly accident has brought that long association with that train to an abrupt halt for dozens of families,” said R. Ramu of Cheepurupalli.
Among the 13 deceased, three belonged to Garividi mandal and one hailed from nearby Cheepurupalli mandal. Another two were from the next station of G. Sigadam of Srikakulam district.
