11 die in train-bus collision

At least 11 passengers of a bus died when a train crashed into it at a railway crossing in Jhenaidah’s Kaliganj Upazila on Friday. Train links between Khulna and the rest of Bangladesh remained snapped for around 7 hours after the accident. Officials said the train smashed the crowded bus, which was carrying a bride’s family and friends back from a wedding, at Barobazar crossing. At least 56 passengers of the bus were injured, many seriously. Doctors say the death toll may rise. Jhenaidah’s Deputy Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said the ‘Simanta Express’ travelling to Khulna from Syedpur was passing by the Barobazar level crossing around 3:45am. The bus drove on to the unmanned railway crossing without checking for the incoming train. ‘The train ploughed through the bus and dragged it for about 500 metres along the tracks,’ Islam said. Local people, fire service and police began rescuing the victims and retrieved nine bodies, mostly of children and women, from the spot, according to bdnews24.com.