Overview
- In Chhattisgarh, a MEMU passenger train rear-ended a stationary goods train between Gatora and Bilaspur around 4 pm Tuesday, leaving 11 dead and about 20 injured as a coach mounted a freight wagon.
- The Railway Board’s initial assessment cites a signal passed at danger; a Commissioner of Railway Safety inquiry is underway, the line was restored early Wednesday, and ex-gratia payouts of ₹10 lakh/₹5 lakh/₹1 lakh were announced.
- Those killed in the Bilaspur crash include loco pilot Vidya Sagar, while assistant loco pilot Rashmi Raj is among the injured; rescue teams worked through the night to retrieve bodies from the mangled coach.
- In Telangana early Monday, a lorry rammed an overcrowded TGRTC bus near Mirjaguda/Chevella, killing 19 and injuring more than 20, with initial findings pointing to a pothole-triggered swerve, a narrow poorly lit road, and passenger overloading.
- Authorities ordered probes and announced compensation, including ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF and ₹5 lakh from the Telangana government to victims’ families, as calls grew for accountability and safety improvements on rail corridors and highways.