BILASPUR (CHHATTISGARH): The death toll in the collision of a passenger train with a goods train near Bilaspur railway station in Chhattisgarh has risen to 11, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The incident took place around 4 pm on Tuesday when the MEMU (mainline electric multiple unit) passenger train was travelling towards Bilaspur from Gevra (in neighbouring Korba district).
The Railways released a statement confirming that eleven people have lost their lives and 20 others were injured in the mishap.
Relief and rescue operations were immediately launched by the railway administration, and the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for proper medical treatment, including Apollo Hospital and Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur.
The impact was severe, with one coach of the passenger train reportedly ending up on top of a wagon of the cargo train.
A senior railway official indicated that the passenger train hit the goods train from behind at a speed of 60 to 70 kmph after overshooting a red signal.
The official stated that an investigation is now focused on why the loco pilot jumped the red signal and failed to apply the emergency brake in time, despite the goods train being within visible distance.
The loco pilot of the passenger train, Vidya Sagar, was among the deceased, while the assistant loco pilot, Rashmi Raj, sustained serious injuries. The manager (guard) of the goods train managed to jump out of the brake van (the last coach) just before the impact, sustaining minor injuries. Both injured railway personnel have been hospitalised.
The railway authorities have announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 5 lakh to the seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh to those with minor injuries.
Additionally, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.
A detailed inquiry will be conducted at the level of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to determine the cause and recommend necessary corrective measures. With input from PTI
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
