Title - Hampi Express Mishap: 18 Out of 25 Bodies Identified

Railway authorities have identified 18 of the 25 passengers who were killed in the train tragedy here today even as a case was booked against the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot of the ill-fated Hampi Express.According to Guntakal State Railway Police, the majority of the deceased that includes three women, and three children were labourers hailing from Koppal, Bellary, Raichur and Gadag districts of Karnataka.Forty-three people were also injured when the Bangalore- bound trained rammed into a stationary goods train on platform No. 2 after its driver apparently overshot the signal near the Penukonda station around 3.15 am."Post-mortem of all the bodies has been carried out. The identified bodies will be handed over to their relatives while the unidentified bodies will be kept at the Anantapur Medical College under preservation," Guntakal Railway SP P Muni Swamy told PTI.Hindupur Railway Police registered a FIR against loco pilot M Y Ratnam and assistant loco pilot Balraj, who were among the injured and undergoing treatment, Guntakal Railway Inspector Muralidhar Reddy said, adding more names will be added in the FIR once the technical report of the Railways identifying reasons behind the accident is submitted.

The deceased were identified as Venkatesh Pawar (35), Rudrappa (35), Hemavathi (30), Pavani (12), Maisanna (9), Satyanarayana (58), A Laxmi (32), A Mallesh, Thimmappa Naik (31), Tagore Naik (35), S K Magshuda (22), Hussain Appa (21), V Ramaiah (55), S K Farood (20), V Laxman (16), Modala Appa (45) and P Gullappa (50).

"We are awaiting for the technical report from railways. Based on the experts opinion more names will be added in the FIR," Reddy said.

The FIR was registered under relevant IPC sections and on charge of endangering safety of a train passenger by disobeying rules under section 175 of Indian Railway Act, he added.