Anuppur, Oct 23 (IANS): A 25-year-old man was killed and six others were injured when a freight train collided with a pickup vehicle in Madhya Pradesh's Anuppur district late on Thursday night, officials said on Friday. The accident occurred near Sanjay Nagar Double Story in the Chachai police station area, IANS reported.
The pickup was carrying seven people who were returning to their village after delivering DJ equipment, and was hit by a train heading towards the Sangwa siding to collect coal for the Amarkantak Thermal Power Plant, according to the IANS report. The deceased was identified as Ravi Barman, 25, a resident of Chakethi village, who was trapped inside the vehicle and died on the spot. The six injured, including the pickup driver, were taken to the district hospital in Anuppur, and were assured of better treatment in Jabalpur.
According to police accounts carried by IANS, several occupants jumped out after seeing the approaching locomotive, but Barman got trapped inside the vehicle and could not escape. The pickup driver said the crossing had neither a railway gate nor a gatekeeper — a claim Awaaz Punjab is reporting as the driver's statement via IANS. IANS also reported that the locomotive pilot reportedly fled the spot, leaving the engine running; that detail has not been independently confirmed.
Gate promised after talks
Following the accident, Barman's family demanded compensation and a job for one of his brothers at the power plant, IANS reported. After a meeting involving district and police officials, villagers and power plant representatives, assurances were given that compensation would be provided as per applicable rules and that a gate would be installed at the crossing. The accident has raised questions about safety arrangements along the railway line used for transporting coal, the report said.
What is solid
- A freight train hit a pickup vehicle at a crossing near Sanjay Nagar, Anuppur, late on Thursday night, killing one man and injuring six people, officials told IANS
- The train was heading to the Sangwa siding to collect coal for the Amarkantak Thermal Power Plant
- Officials assured compensation under the rules and the installation of a gate at the crossing after talks with villagers and plant representatives
What is only claimed
- The driver said the crossing had no gate or gatekeeper — reported as his statement, not independently verified
- The report that the locomotive pilot fled the spot is carried by IANS as a reported detail and has not been independently confirmed