A tragic train accident took place in central India on Tuesday afternoon when a passenger train hit a stationary cargo train from behind near Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. The accident killed at least 11 people and left around 20 others injured.
According to officials, the passenger train was travelling near Bilaspur city, which is about 115 km northeast of Raipur, when the collision happened. The impact was so strong that one of the passenger coaches climbed onto a cargo train wagon.
Rescue teams rushed to the site and worked for several hours to free trapped passengers. They used iron cutters to open the damaged coach and found three more bodies inside. By early Wednesday morning, the rescue and recovery operation was completed, and train services through the area resumed.
Officials confirmed that the passenger train driver died on the spot, while his female assistant driver was critically injured and taken to a private hospital for treatment. The injured passengers were admitted to nearby hospitals in Bilaspur and other towns.
Indian Railways has launched an inquiry to find out the exact cause of the crash. The authorities also announced financial help for the families of those who died and for the injured passengers.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed deep sorrow over the accident and sent his condolences to the affected families.
Train accidents like this are unfortunately not rare in India. Every day, over 12 million people travel on 14,000 trains across the country’s vast 64,000 km railway network. Despite continuous efforts to modernize and improve safety, many accidents still occur each year, often due to human errors or outdated signalling systems.
This tragic incident once again highlights the urgent need to strengthen railway safety measures to prevent such heartbreaking accidents in the future.
