The Hindu Business Line : 8 from Karnataka killed in train accident

ONE person from Udupi district, four from Gokarna in Uttara Kannada district and one child from Mangalore were killed when the Mangalore-Lokamanya Tilak Terminus Matsyagandha Express derailed at Ambavali in Maharashtra.

Reports reaching here said that eight from Karnataka were killed in the accident. However, the bodies of other two are yet to be identified. More than 100 were injured in the accident.

The Station Master in Mangalore, Mr V.V. Soman, gave the names of the dead as Mohmmad Sadhu from Udupi; Austin Antony (aged around 10) from Mangalore; and Sukrappa Subraya, Shankar Seetaram, Mahadev Mohan Bansal, and Parasu Ganapat Gonda - all from Gokarna.

Bodies have been kept in the Mahad Civil Hospital, and the injured have been admitted to various hospitals in Mumbai.

Mr Soman said that more casualties took place in general coach.

Anxious relatives of the passengers were seen enquiring with the Station Master at Mangalore Railway station. Most of the relatives left the station in private vehicles to the accident spot.

Mr Soman said that five trains have been diverted through Southern Railway.

The trains are: 2432 Nizamuddin-Trivandrum Rajadhani Express, 2618 Nizamuddin-Ernakulam Mangala Express, 6345 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Trivandrum Netravathi Express, 2617 Ernakulam-Nizamuddin Mangala Express and 6346 Trivandrum-Lokmanya Tilak Netravathi Express.

RORO service called off

The re-introduced "Roll-On Roll-Off" service of the Konkan Railway, which was to begin its journey from Surathkal in Mangalore to Kolad in Maharashtra on Wednesday, was cancelled due to the derailment.

Sources in Manish Transport Company Ltd, RORO service provider on Konkan Railway route, said that the inaugural run from Kolad reached Surathkal in the morning.

However, the return RORO service from Surathkal was cancelled for the day.

More than 16 trucks from Kolad were rolled off at Surathkal on Wednesday.