At least four people were killed and several others injured when a Korba passenger train rammed into a stationary freight train near Lal Khadan on the Bilaspur–Katni section in Bilaspur district on Tuesday evening.

The impact of the collision was devastating, leaving the front coaches of the passenger train completely mangled. Visuals from the site showed the train’s engine and leading compartments crushed as rescue teams struggled to pull out trapped passengers from the debris.

Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Rajneesh Singh confirmed that four people have lost their lives in the accident. “Rescue operations are ongoing. The injured are being shifted to nearby hospitals,” he said.

Teams from the Railways, local administration, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the accident site soon after the collision. An infant was among those rescued safely, officials said.

Due to the wreckage blocking movement, doctors were seen treating several injured passengers inside the train itself. Medical teams and ambulances have been deployed to assist the victims.

As Delhi continues to choke under a blanket of toxic smog, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of “changing excuses every year” while the air in the national capital becomes increasingly unbreathable.

“Year after year, Delhi’s air is turning more poisonous, yet BJP governments keep changing their excuses. Now that the BJP rules both at the Centre and in Delhi, there can be no more excuses. People want clean air, not just promises,” Gandhi said in a social media post.

Responding sharply, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa countered the Congress leader’s claims, asserting that both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) share responsibility for Delhi’s pollution crisis. “Fifteen years of Congress government and ten years of AAP government are responsible for the pollution situation in Delhi. In the last ten years, the cleanest air quality has been recorded this year under the BJP government,” Sirsa stated.

The verbal sparring comes as Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the “very poor” category, with an overall reading of 309 at 7 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Several localities, including Alipur, Anand Vihar, Burari, and Wazirpur, reported AQI levels above 400, placing them in the “severe” zone.

Experts have long cautioned that the national capital’s recurring pollution crisis cannot be resolved through political blame games. However, as every year, the toxic air has once again turned into a political flashpoint, while residents continue to struggle for cleaner air.

In a major pre-election announcement, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav declared that if voted to power, his government will provide Rs 30,000 annually to women in Bihar under the ‘Mai Bahin Maan Yojana’. The announcement came just two days before the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls.

Speaking at a press conference in Patna, Yadav said the financial assistance would be transferred in one go on Makar Sankranti (January 14). The move is seen as a direct counter to the NDA’s ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana’, under which Rs 10,000 has already been credited to over one crore women to promote self-employment.

Yadav emphasised that women across the state have shown immense enthusiasm for the scheme. “All the mothers and sisters in Bihar are excited about the ‘Mai Bahin Maan Yojana’. People say this scheme will provide them with economic justice,” he stated.

Key promises for women and farmers

According to the opposition manifesto released last week, women are promised Rs 2,500 per month starting December 1 — totalling Rs 30,000 per year — for five years. However, Yadav said the amount would now be transferred in full on January 14, following requests from women beneficiaries.

Yadav also announced that farmers would receive Rs 300 per quintal of paddy and Rs 400 per quintal of wheat as a bonus over the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

He further pledged to ensure posting and transfer of teachers, police, healthcare, and other employees within 70 km of their home districts, and reiterated his commitment to re-implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

The Bihar Assembly elections are set to be held in two phases — on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.