The death toll in the tragic train collision near Bilaspur railway station in Chhattisgarh has increased to eight, and intensified rescue operations are underway on the premises. Over 15 people have suffered grievous injuries in the incident, and they are undergoing treatment at hospitals in the vicinity.
Bilaspur District Collector Sanjay Agrawal confirmed the death toll has increased to eight. "A total of eight people have lost their lives in this accident. Two people are still stuck in the wreckage. 16-17 people are in serious condition," he said.
According to South East Central Railway, Train no. 68733, a MEMU passenger train heading to Bilaspur from Gevra rammed into the rear end of goods train at 4pm on Tuesday. The crash happened when the train was moving between Gatora and Bilaspur railway stations.
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The Railway said rescue efforts were launched on a war footing and senior officials are overseeing the operations. The Railway has announced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for families of deceased, Rs 5 lakh for those grievously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai condoled the deaths and announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh for families of deceased and Rs 50,000 for injured. "The district administration and railway teams are fully engaged with utmost promptness in relief and rescue operations. All necessary medical facilities and resources are being provided for the treatment of the injured," Sai said in a tweet. The chief minister also spoke with Bilaspur district officials over video call and assessed the situation.
