Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), Nov 4: At least seven persons were killed and 14 others injured after a passenger train collided with a goods train from behind near Bilaspur station in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, officials said.
The incident took place around 4 pm when the MEMU (mainline electric multiple unit) passenger train was heading to Bilaspur from Gevra (in neighbouring Korba district), they said.
The impact of the collision was so severe that a coach of the passenger train ended up on top of a wagon of the cargo train, the railway officials said, adding that two persons are still trapped in the wreckage.
When the passenger train was between Gatora and Bilaspur railway stations on the Howrah-Mumbai rail route section, it rammed into a goods train from behind, according to them.
The spot is a few kilometres away from Bilaspur city, which houses the headquarters of South Eastern Central Railway (SECR) zone.
“So far, seven deaths have been confirmed in the accident. Two others are still trapped inside the wreckage and efforts are on to evacuate them,” Bilaspur Collector Sanjay Agrawal told PTI.
The goods train was also moving in the same direction as that of the passenger train, he said.
The injured passengers have been shifted to Apollo Hospital and Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) hospital in Bilaspur. The condition of one of them is said to be critical, he added.
The railway authorities have mobilised all resources at the spot, and required measures are being taken for the treatment of the injured persons, the officials said.
As per the visuals, the collision resulted in a coach of the passenger train getting mounted onto a wagon of the goods train.
The railway authorities announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to kin of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to the seriously injured persons, while those who sustained minor injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh assistance, an official statement said.
A detailed inquiry into the incident will be conducted at the level of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to ascertain the cause and recommend necessary corrective measures, it said.
Relief and rescue operations have been launched on a war footing by the railway administration. Senior officials have rushed to the site to monitor the situation, and the injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, it said.
The railway authorities are providing all possible assistance and coordination to the affected passengers.
Helpline numbers have been issued for the convenience of passengers and their families, it added.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the accident and said the state government stands in full solidarity with the affected families.
The CM spoke over the phone with the Bilaspur District Collector, seeking detailed information about the incident and directing officials to provide all possible assistance to those affected, an official statement said.
He instructed that immediate medical aid be provided to the injured persons and that every possible support be extended to the affected families, it said.
In a post on ‘X’, Sai said, teams from the railway machinery and the district administration have immediately reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations.
All necessary medical facilities and resources are being made available for the treatment of the injured. The state government has been closely monitoring the situation with complete promptness and sensitivity, he said.
Speaking to the media, an injured woman passenger said the train was running when it suddenly rammed into the goods train.
“Before I could understand what happened, people started screaming and shouting for help,” she recalled.
The woman, who was travelling to Bilaspur from Akaltara town in neighbouring Janjgir-Champa district, said she was in the coach that climbed onto the goods train due to the impact.
“After the collision, my leg got trapped under the seat. I was rescued by the responders and first taken to the railway hospital before being referred to another hospital,” she said.
Lying on the hospital bed, she added that her leg suffered a fracture in the accident.
According to some local residents, the loud sound of the collision propelled the nearby villagers to rush to the spot and launch an immediate rescue operation.
The accident disrupted train operations on the route. Many trains running on the Howrah-Mumbai section have been rescheduled. (PTI)
