RAIPUR: At least eight passengers, including a loco pilot, were killed and 14 injured when a passenger train collided with a stationary goods train near Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh under the South East Central Railway (SECR) zone on Tuesday evening.
According to railway officials, the Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) train from Gevra Road in Korba was en route to Raigarh via Bilaspur when it rammed into the guard’s compartment of the goods train on the same track at around 4 pm.
"So far, eight deaths have been confirmed in the accident. Two to three others are still feared trapped inside the wreckage and efforts are on to evacuate them," said Bilaspur Collector Sanjay Agrawal.
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.
Loco pilot of the passenger train, Vidya Sagar, was killed in the accident while assistant loco pilot Rashmi Raj sustained serious injuries. Sources told the TNIE that the number of injured passengers is likely to rise as rescue operations continue.
The train manager (guard) of the goods train jumped out of the brake van, the last coach of the train, just moments before the collision, sustaining minor injuries. Both injured railway staff have been hospitalised, a senior railway official said.
The worst-affected coaches of the Korba passenger train were the first two, including the front women's reserved bogie that suffered the maximum damage. Gas cutters were used to extricate bodies trapped in the mangled coach.
Following the collision, local were the first to reach the spot and assist passengers. Railway officials and district authorities soon joined with medical teams to oversee rescue and relief operations. A few coaches of the passenger train derailed, disrupting rail traffic along the route for several hours.
Some passengers on board the MEMU train told local media that they experienced a sudden jolt accompanied by a loud noise, and many were thrown off their seats due to the abrupt impact.
Railway and district administration personnel are conducting extensive rescue operations at the site. Emergency helpline numbers have been issued, and the railways have announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for passengers with minor injuries.
While the exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, officials said a team from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will conduct an extensive inquiry to ascertain the reason behind the collision and recommend corrective measures.
(Additional inputs from PTI)
