Bilaspur: A devastating train accident occurred near Bilaspur station in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, resulting in the loss of 11 lives and injuring 20 others. The collision involved a Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) local train and a stationary goods train. According to Bilaspur District Collector Sanjay Agrawal, the accident happened around 4 PM when the MEMU train rammed into the goods train from behind.
Rescue operations were immediately launched, and the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals, including Apollo Hospital and Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur. The injured are receiving medical care under the supervision of professional doctors. The condition of some of the injured is reported to be critical.
The injured passengers have been identified as Mathura Bhaskar, Chaura Bhaskar, Shatrughan, Geeta Debnath, Mehnish Khan, Sanju Vishwakarma, Soni Yadav, Santosh Hansraj, Rashmi Raj, Rishi Yadav, Tularam Agrawal, Aradhana Nishad, Mohan Sharma, Anjula Singh, Shanta Devi Gautam, Pritam Kumar, Shailesh Chandra, Ashok Kumar Dixit, Neeraj Dewangan, and Rajendra Maruti Bisare.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured. The state government has also assured that the injured will receive free treatment. The Railway Ministry has also ordered an inquiry into the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 5 lakh to those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh to those with minor injuries.
A preliminary assessment suggests that the passenger train overshot a red signal, leading to the collision. A detailed inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will determine the cause of the accident and recommend necessary corrective measures.
