The tragic train crash in India's Andhra Pradesh that claimed 14 lives in October was attributed to the train drivers being distracted by a cricket match on their phones, according to India's Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, BBC reported. The drivers were reportedly engrossed in the one-day World Cup match between India and England when the accident occurred. The collision, resulting from a missed signal, left dozens injured as the passenger train travelling between Visakhapatnam and Palasa collided with another train. The Andhra Pradesh train crash marked the third major incident since June the previous year, following a three-train collision in Odisha that claimed approximately 300 lives. Reflecting on India's railway history, the worst disaster occurred in 1981 when a derailment in Bihar resulted in nearly 800 fatalities.

Source: The Nation March 04, 2024 21:22 UTC