Andhra Pradesh

Goutami tragedy: officials hold inquiry

Kakinada: A three-member team of safety officials of Indian Railways inquired into the circumstances that led to the fire accident in Gautami Express, at Kakinada port and town stations on Tuesday.

They reportedly questioned the staff vested with responsibility of maintaining the rakes and sought information about the passengers who travelled in the train on that fateful day, from their relatives who came from Samalkot and other places.

However, the Railway officials refused to divulge what transpired at the closed-door meeting with relatives of passengers and whether they had made any observations on the manner of functioning of railway staff, which could have led to the disaster that claimed 38 lives.

What the media was told that it was an exercise aimed at eliciting information but not a public hearing like the one that took place at Warangal.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu