Bilaspur: At least eight people, including the loco pilot, were killed and 14 others injured after a passenger train collided with a stationary goods train near Bilaspur station in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday evening. The accident occurred around 4 pm when the MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) train, travelling from Gevra to Bilaspur, reportedly overshot a red signal and rammed into the goods train from behind.

The impact was severe, causing one coach of the passenger train to climb onto a wagon of the goods train. Rescue teams used gas cutters to pull out trapped passengers, while the injured were shifted to Apollo Hospital and the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur. Officials said one passenger is in critical condition.

Bilaspur Collector Sanjay Agrawal confirmed that eight people had died and that two to three more were feared trapped in the wreckage. Loco pilot Vidya Sagar was among the deceased, while assistant loco pilot Rashmi Raj sustained serious injuries. The train manager of the goods train escaped with minor injuries after jumping from the brake van.

Railway officials said the passenger train was travelling at about 60–70 kmph when it hit the goods train. A detailed investigation by the Commissioner of Railway Safety has been ordered to determine the cause of the collision.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai called the accident “extremely distressing” and announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh each for the families of those killed and ₹50,000 for the injured. The Railways separately announced ₹10 lakh compensation for the deceased, ₹5 lakh for the seriously injured, and ₹1 lakh for those with minor injuries.

Relief and rescue operations continued late into the evening, with senior railway and state officials at the site. Train services on the Howrah–Mumbai route were affected, and several trains were rescheduled.

Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu and BJP MLA Dharamlal Kaushik visited CIMS Hospital to meet the injured passengers.