Overview
- Officials said the Gevra Road–Bilaspur MEMU struck a goods train from behind between Gatora and Bilaspur around 4 pm, with one coach mounting a wagon and passengers trapped in the wreckage.
- Rescuers from the railways, NDRF, police and medical teams used heavy equipment and cutters to extricate survivors, and disruption was reported on the busy Howrah–Mumbai corridor.
- Hindustan Times and district officials put the toll at eight with more than a dozen injured, and patients were taken to Apollo Hospital and CIMS in Bilaspur.
- The Railway Board’s preliminary assessment points to the passenger train passing a red signal, and a Commissioner of Railway Safety probe will determine the exact cause and corrective steps.
- Indian Railways announced ex-gratia payments of ₹10 lakh for the deceased, ₹5 lakh for the seriously injured and ₹1 lakh for minor injuries, and helplines were activated for families.