Bangla Press Desk: Rail communication between Chattogram and rest of the country has been suspended following a train accident in Cumilla that initially left 12 people dead.
Railway authorities said a rescue train is being brought from Akhaura to recover the damaged train and clear the tracks.Mostafizur Rahman, Divisional Railway Manager of Chattogram division, said efforts were underway to restore normal services as quickly as possible.
“A rescue train has been dispatched from Akhaura. We hope it will reach the scene soon and complete the recovery work,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, at least 12 people were killed and eight others injured as a train rammed into a passenger bus at a level crossing in Cumilla.The accident took place at Paduar Bazar railway crossing on the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway shortly before 3:00am, said Inspector Saiful Islam of Cumilla EPZ Outpost.
A Dhaka-bound mail train from Chattogram smashed into a Mamun Special bus travelling from Chuadanga to Lakshmipur. The train dragged the mangled bus for nearly a kilometre after the collision.
On information, members of Fire Service and Railway Police rushed to the spot and rescued the injured, sending them to Cumilla Medical College Hospital.
Police said the bus might have entered the railway track before the crash. However, the exact cause of the accident could not be confirmed immediately.
Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Mohammad Idris said three bodies were recovered from the scene, while several others had been taken out earlier by police and locals.
Ajay Bhowmik, medical officer at the emergency department of Cumilla Medical College Hospital, said 12 people were brought dead, including a child and a few women.
At least eight injured persons are undergoing treatment at the hospital, many with severe head injuries.
An injured passenger, Omar Faruk, said he was asleep when the bus suddenly jolted.
“After the crash, I saw the bus crushed. I lost consciousness and later found myself in the hospital,” he said.
Source: daily Sun
BP/SP
