Assist in relief ops, Naidu tells Ministers, officials

- Orders deployment of RTC buses to take stranded passengers to their destinations
- Asks DGP to ensure bodies of victims reach their native places without delay
- Tells Chief Secretaries of AP and Odisha to be in constant touch to carry out relief operations in a speedy manner

Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday instructed Ministers and officials to take part in relief operations immediately at the scene of derailment at Kuneru railway station in Vizianagaram district. He also expressed grief over the loss of life in the Hirakhand train mishap.

The Chief Minister spoke to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and assured all possible assistance from the State government in relief operations.

The Chief Minister, who returned from Zurich on Sunday, held a meeting with officials and asked the Chief Secretary and officials to ensure speedy relief operations. He directed the district Collectors of both Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam to coordinate with each other to shift the bodies to their native places and to provide treatment to the injured. He asked the Director General of Police to coordinate with the Odisha police to hand over the bodies of the victims to their relatives.

The Chief Minister instructed the officials to arrange APSRTC special buses to shift the stranded passengers from the accident spot and asked the Visakhapatnam divisional railway manager to take steps to restore rail traffic.

Naidu asked Chief Secretary SP Tucker to be in constant touch with Odisha Chief Secretary to ensure speedy implementation of relief operations.

Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa, Minister K Mrunalini, MLAs and MLCs visited the accident spot to supervise the relief operations.