New Delhi: At least six people were killed and five others injured after a passenger train rammed into the rear of a goods train near the Bilaspur railway station in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday (November 4) afternoon.

A bulletin issued by the South East Central Railway said that six people have died and five others were hurt. Injured persons were moved to nearby hospitals and the incident will be investigated “at the level of the commissioner of railway safety”.

Rescue operations are underway at the site of the accident.

Per media reports, the passenger train was travelling between Gevra Road in the neighbouring Korba district and Bilaspur when it rear-ended the goods train close to the latter station at around 4 pm.

A preliminary assessment by railways authorities suggested that the passenger train wrongly passed a stop signal, leading to the accident, PTI reported citing a Railway Board communique.

Local officials speaking to mediapersons have offered varying accounts of the casualties that took place due to the incident.

Next of kin will be given Rs 10 lakh as ex gratia, while seriously injured persons will be paid Rs 5 lakh and injured persons Rs 1 lakh, the South East Central Railway said.

Chhattisgarh's government will provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved and Rs 50,000 to those injured, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai's office said in a statement.

The railways has rescheduled or cancelled a number of trains in the wake of the accident.

It has set up the following helpline phone numbers for passengers and their relatives:

• Bilaspur: 7777857335, 7869953330
• Champa: 8085956528  
• Raigarh: 9752485600  
• Pendra Road: 8294730162  
• Korba: 7869953330  
• Uslapur: 7777857338

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