Bangladesh News

“Due to a wrong signal”, two express trains crashed head-on yesterday just outside Kamalapur Railway Station leaving a man dead and six others injured.

Both the locomotives and a few carriages of the trains were damaged.

Bangladesh Railway suspended the station’s Platform Station Master (PSM) Saiful Islam and Cabin Station Master (CSM) Khandaker Basher for negligence of duty, said Divisional Transport Officer (DTO) Nazmul Islam of Bangladesh Railway.

This is the second accident that occurred in the capital in six days.

Station sources said when Mymensingh-bound Isakhan express train was departing the station around 2:40pm, Mohanagar intercity train from Chittagong was approaching the station on the same lines.

Witnesses said the first carriage of the Mohanagar was smashed against the locomotive in the impact and the engine of Isakhan was partially damaged.

Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Railway Mohammad Belayet Hossain said generally incoming and outgoing trains run at low speed in and near the Kamalapur Railway Station and for this reason the casualty figure was low.

Rail communication from the station was suspended at 2:40pm for an hour after which an incoming line and an outgoing line were opened.

Of the injured, members of the Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) Abdur Rahman and Naheed Hossain were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). The two drivers of the trains and their assistants were taken to Railway Hospital while a female passenger was taken to a local hospital, Kamalapur Railway Station sources said.

Naheed was shifted to Pangu Hospital where he died at 5:50pm, said chief inspector of RNB Shahidullah.

DG Belayet said, “The accident might have happened due to wrong signalling from the signal cabin.”

Abdur Rahman of Mohanagar said, “When the train [Mohanagar] passed Khilgaon level crossing and was heading towards the station I saw a man with a red flag, moments later I heard a big bang… and found myself in the DMCH bed.”

DG Belayet said, “It is our fault and we have formed a four-member probe committee to investigate the accident. The committee was asked to submit its report within four days.”

The probe committee led by Chief Engineer Nur Mohammad also includes Chief Operational Supervisor (COPS) Zahirul Islam, Additional Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) Ratan Kumar Sarkar and Chief Signal Telecommunication Engineer (CSTE) Khandakar Shahidul Islam.

Another railway probe committee investigating the Moghbazar level crossing accident on July 17 is yet to submit its report.

Belayet said he is yet to receive that probe report even though the committee was supposed to submit it on June 20.

Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossain visited the spot and enquired about the health of the injured.