At least 36 people were killed and over 50 others were injured after eight coaches of the Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Express got derailed in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday night, Rayagad Collector Poonam Guha told ANI. The Railway Ministry said the injured were being treated at two local hospitals. One medical relief train and four accident relief vans have been deployed at the site, the ministry said on Twitter.

A National Disaster Response Force team from Visakhapatnam is at the site while four more teams are on their way,the local administration said. The incident took place at around 11pm on Saturday night. “Seven coaches and the engine of the 18448 Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Express got derailed near Kuneru station,” JP Mishra, chief Public Relations Officer of East Coast Railway, told PTI. The Railway Ministry, on Twitter, said Union Minister Suresh Prabhu was personally monitoring the situation.

Seven express trains were diverted after the accident. “We will investigate the reason for the train derailment,” ministry spokesperson Anil Saxena said. He said the railway safety commissioner would oversee the investigation. Congress President Sonia Gandhi said the rise in such incidents were a cause for concern and hoped that the Indian Railways would take the required steps to ensure railway safety and avoid accidents.

The derailment follows similar incidents across the country in the past few months, including the Ajmer-Sealdah Express and Patna-Indore Express trains. Investigating agencies are also probing the role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence in the Patna-Indore Express derailment case.

Helpline numbers:

Rayagada: 06856-223400, 06856-223500 ,09439741181, 09439741071, 07681878777.

Vizianagaram: Railway numbers: 83331, 83332, 83333, 83334, 08922-221202, 08922-221206, 08500358610, 08500358712.

Visakhapatnam: Railway numbers: 83003, 83005, 83006, 0891-2746344, 0891-2746330.