An initial inquiry report on the Chhattisgarh train accident has blamed the crew of the Bilaspur-bound Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) passenger train for the incident, saying they “failed to control the train at danger signal”.

Eleven people – including the loco pilot – were killed and 20 injured when the Gevra Road–Bilaspur passenger train rammed into a stationary goods train a few kilometres from the city in Lalkhadan around 4 pm Tuesday.

In its report, the South East Central Railway (SECR), headquartered in Bilaspur, said the crew was responsible for not “controlling the train at the right time and right position before danger signal and committed SPAD case”.

A ‘SPAD case’ refers to a Signal Passed at Danger event, when a train passes a stop signal without authority.

The rep

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