Dhaka, March 01: Three people were killed and at least 75 injured in a train-truck collision at an ‘unauthorised’ level crossing at Nandalalpur in Pagla yesterday morning.
Two of the injured Md Shahid, 40, and Md Jasim Uddin, 45, succumbed to their wounds at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in the morning while another unidentified 40-year-old woman died in the afternoon.
Of the rest, 11 were admitted to DMCH while the others were sent to different clinics and hospitals in Dhaka and Narayanganj.
The conditions of Mariam, Sabina and her 11-month-old girl Sumaiya, Anwar Hossain, 45, Shuvo, 12, Monir Hossain, 40, Yarham, 45, Hasan, 35, Sultan, 30, Hashmatullah, 40, Kala Chand, 40, Shahjahan, 45, Abdul Hye, 60, Delwar Hossain, 40, Rubina and a 25-year-old unidentified youth were stated to be critical.
Many of the train passengers, travelling on its engine and roof, truck passengers and employees of a nearby shop are among the injured.
The accident occurred when a Dhaka-bound train from Narayanganj rammed a timber-laden truck at the unguarded level crossing around 9:40am, said Golam Mostafa, stationmaster of Fatullah Railway Station.
Hit by the train, the truck bumped into the shop, witnesses said.
According to train driver Abul Hossain, the truck got on the railway track when the train came near the railroad crossing. He tried in vain to slow down the speeding train before the collision.
Truck driver Md Babar Ali, undergoing treatment at DMCH, said he was on a trip to Bhanga in Faridpur. There was no barrier at the spot, he added.
Railway’s Senior Deputy Assistant Engineer Abdul Matin Mondal said the road was constructed illegally at Nandalalpur area without taking permission from the railway authorities. It has been closed after the accident.
Train movement on Dhaka-Narayanganj route remained suspended for about two-and-a-half hours following the accident, noted Abdul Aziz, stationmaster of Narayanganj.
The rail link was restored around 12:15 pm after a rescue train from Kamalapur reached the accident site around 11:30am and moved the train.
Railway sources said a four-member enquiry committee, led by Railway Divisional Transport Officer Nazmul Islam, has been formed to probe the accident. Other members of the body are Divisional Engineers Arifur Rahman, Benu Ranjan and Subakta Din. The committee has been asked to submit its report within two days.
Director General of Bangladesh Railway Touhidul Anwar Chowdhury, Additional Directors General Md Shahjahan and Anhar Mahmud and members of the enquiry committee visited the spot.
There are 26 level crossings on Dhaka-Narayanganj route, of which 12 are unauthorised, noted sources in railway.
Commuters have been increasingly opting for train journey on this route since the beginning of construction work of Jatrabari flyover. Almost every train has been carrying passengers double of its capacity, added sources.
Passengers alleged a section of dishonest railway employees allow more than 100 passengers on the engines and roofs of the trains putting their lives in danger.
———Agencies