Chhattisgarh: 8 Killed, 13 Injured as MEMU Rams Into Goods Train
Several Coaches Derailed in Collision; Casualties Feared on Busy Railway Line
Raipur: Eight persons were killed and thirteen others injured on Tuesday when a MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) train rammed into a stationary freight train near the Bilaspur railway station in Chhattisgarh, in the Lal Khadan area on the Howrah-Mumbai main rail line.
The impact of the collision was so severe that the MEMU climbed onto the goods train, leaving several coaches badly mangled. The ladies’ coach next to the engine was the worst affected, according to railway sources.
Officials suspect that either a failure in the automatic signalling system or the MEMU driver overshooting the signal may have caused the accident. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will probe the accident to ascertain the exact cause of the mishap, the railway spokesperson added.
Local villagers rushed to the spot and began rescuing passengers trapped inside the MEMU coaches. Senior railway officials reached the scene soon after and launched relief and rescue operations, the spokesperson said.
The accident also caused severe damage to the tracks, overhead wires, and signalling systems and disrupted traffic on the route. More than a dozen trains operating on the Howrah-Mumbai section were regulated at various stations.
The railways announced that financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, Rs 5 lakh to those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh to passengers who sustained minor injuries.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed deep sorrow over the tragic accident, calling it an extremely painful and distressing incident. He announced that the state government would provide financial assistance of `5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured passenger.
