People gather around mangled wreckage of two trains that collided at a railway crossing near Mandabag Railway Station in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria in the early hours of Tuesday — Focus Bangla At least 16 people were killed and scores of others injured in a head-on collision between two inter-city trains at Mondobagh Railway Station in Kasba Upazila of Brahmanbaria on early Tuesday.
Chattogram-bound Udayan Express from Sylhet and Dhaka-bound Turna Nishitha from Chattogram collided there at around 2:55 am.
According to the Bangladesh Railway (BR) and witnesses, Turna Nishitha hit the 10th compartment of Udayan Express at a loop-line while changing rail track.
Most of the victims and injured people were in the 10th and 11th bogies of Udayan Express. The victims were rushed to the local hospitals.
The initial investigation found that Turna Nishitha proceeded without obeying signal.
Train services to and from Chattogram and Sylhet were suspended for more than 10 hours following the accident.
The services resumed after removal of the damaged bogies and repairing of rail-track at 10:25 am. Two relief trains from Laksam and Akhaura rushed to the spot and cleared the line.
Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan, Railways Secretary Mofazzel Hossain and BR Director General (DG) Mohammad Shamsuzzaman visited the spot on Tuesday morning.
They also inquired about the victims and injured people, and directed all concerned to provide necessary support to them.
According to the BR public relations officer, locomotive master of Turna Nishitha Tasir Uddin, assistant locomotive master Onupom Dev and standing guard Abdur Rahman were suspended.
When asked about any injury of locomotive masters, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) Mizanur Rahman told the FE that one had minor injury.
He said due to hard body of front side of trains, the scope of locomotive masters being injured is less.
Four inquiry committees have been formed from different organisations to probe the accident.
According to a press release, the Ministry of Railways formed a four-member inquiry body to submit report in five days.
Additional Secretary (Law and Land) M Rafiqul Islam will head the body, comprising BR Chief Signalling and Telecommunication Engineer M Abul Kalam, Joint DG (Operation) Rashida Sultana Goni and Deputy Secretary Mir Alamgir Hossain as members.
The BR also formed two committees - one with the heads of all departments of BR and another with officials of the BR. Chief Operating Superintendent (East) is the convenor of the first committee, and Divisional Transport Officer, Chittagong M Nasir Uddin will lead the other committee.
Besides, railway inspector will submit a report to the Ministry of Railways, while the Brahmanbaria district administration will submit another one.
The ministry has already announced government will provide Tk 100,000 to family of each victim, and Tk 10,000 to each injured passenger.
The railways minister expressed deep shock and sorrow at the fatal train accident and conveyed deep sympathy to the victims' family members.
Different passenger welfare and human rights organisations also expressed deep shock at the train accident and demanded punishment of the people responsible for it.
They also demanded proper treatment of the injured people and payment of due compensation to the victims.
The Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association demanded helicopter service to salvage injured passengers in case of any accident.
Its president M Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said the helicopter service could bring the injured people to specialised hospitals in the city without delay.
According to a survey report, more than 200 people were killed in more than 45 train accidents in the country in last six months.
One of the fatal accidents took place on June 23 when five people were killed and 67 others were hurt after six carriages of Dhaka-bound Upaban Express, coming from Sylhet, derailed at Baramchal in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed sorrow over the deaths in the Brahmanbaria train accident, and instructed the authorities to be vigilant to prevent the recurrence of accidents.
The directive came at a meeting of the board of governors of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority or BEPZA at the Prime Minister's Office in Dhaka on Tuesday.
"It's an extremely tragic incident. We should alert the people who are deputed in the railways to prevent the recurrence of the incident."
The Prime Minister emphasised proper training for the rail workers and drivers to stop the train accident.
smunima@yahoo.com
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