Chhattisgarh collision: Overshooting red signal by passenger train likely cause, says Railway Board
New Delhi (PTI): Hours after a local passenger train collided with a goods train near Bilaspur station in Chhattisgarh claiming six lives, the Railway Board on Tuesday said the accident took place as the passenger train seems to have overshot a red signal.
The collision took place around 4 pm when the DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) train was heading to Bilaspur from Gevra in neighbouring Korba district, railway officials said, adding it rammed into the goods train from behind between Gatora and Bilaspur stations.
“Passing Signal at Danger by DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) train seems to be the reason in the preliminary assessment by railway authorities,” a press note from the Railway Board stated.
“An unfortunate incident involving a collision between a goods train and a DEMU local train occurred near Bilaspur railway station today. The Railway Administration has taken swift action to initiate relief and rescue operations on a war footing,” the press note said.
Senior officials have reached the site and are closely monitoring the situation, it said, adding six persons died and five were injured in the incident.
The injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals for immediate medical assistance, the note said.
According to the Railway Board, ex gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 5 lakh to those grievously injured and Rs 1 lakh to those with minor injuries have been announced.
“The Railway Administration is extending all possible assistance to the affected passengers and their families. Continuous coordination is being maintained with district authorities and medical teams to ensure prompt relief measures,” the Board said.
It added, “A detailed inquiry into the incident will be conducted at the level of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to ascertain the exact cause and recommend necessary corrective actions.”
Emergency contact numbers of Bilaspur – 7777857335, 7869953330; Champa – 8085956528; Raigarh – 9752485600; Pendra Road – 8294730162; Korba – 7869953330 and Uslapur – 7777857338, have been made operational for the convenience of passengers and their families.
“Passengers and their relatives may contact these numbers for necessary information and assistance. The Railway Administration continues to monitor the situation closely and is ensuring all possible relief and support to the affected,” the Board said.
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Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
