Six passengers were killed after being hit by a train while crossing the railway tracks at Chunar Junction in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district on Wednesday morning, barely a day after another major train accident in Chhattisgarh claimed 11 lives.
According to officials, the victims had just alighted from the Gomo–Prayagraj Express around 9.15 am and were attempting to cross the tracks from the wrong side when they were struck by the Kalka Mail passing through platform number three. Follow Mirzapur train accident live updates
The identities of the deceased, said to be devotees, are yet to be confirmed. Eyewitnesses described the scene as horrific, with bodies mutilated in the impact.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. He directed senior officials to reach the site and ensure that relief and rescue operations were carried out swiftly. The Chief Minister also instructed the SDRF and NDRF teams to assist in the operation and ordered that the injured receive prompt medical treatment.
Bilaspur train accident
The incident comes a day after the deadly train collision near Bilaspur railway station in Chhattisgarh, where a passenger train rammed into a goods train on Tuesday afternoon. The death toll in that accident rose to 11 on Wednesday, with 20 others injured, according to railway officials.
{{/usCountry}}The incident comes a day after the deadly train collision near Bilaspur railway station in Chhattisgarh, where a passenger train rammed into a goods train on Tuesday afternoon. The death toll in that accident rose to 11 on Wednesday, with 20 others injured, according to railway officials.
{{/usCountry}}The crash occurred around 4 pm when the MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) passenger train travelling from Gevra to Bilaspur overshot a red signal and collided with a stationary goods train. The impact was so severe that one of the passenger coaches landed atop a wagon of the freight train.
The loco pilot of the passenger train, Vidya Sagar, was among those killed, while assistant loco pilot Rashmi Raj sustained serious injuries. Rescue operations were launched immediately, and the injured were taken to Apollo Hospital and the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur.
Railway authorities have announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased, ₹5 lakh for the seriously injured, and ₹1 lakh for those with minor injuries. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also announced ₹5 lakh ex-gratia for the families of the dead and ₹50,000 for the injured.
A detailed probe has been ordered by the Commissioner of Railway Safety to determine the cause of the Bilaspur collision.