Three people were killed as a train crashed into a microbus at an unauthorised and unmanned crossing at Bijoypur in Comilla on Tuesday.
The deceased were passengers and the driver of the microbus.
Paharika Express on Chittagong-Sylhet route dashed the vehicle on tracks at the crossing and dragged it to Mohonpur.
Rail communications between Chittagong and Sylhet remained snapped for about an hour.
The deceased are Abu Taher, 52, from Jharkhand village under Adarsha Sadar upazila in Comilla, a former army personnel who was working as a security guard, Harun-ur-Rashid, 42, from Thakuria village under Hajiganj upazila in Chandpur and a regional supervisor of a security agency, and Sohel Khandaker, 26, of Golabari village under Adarsha Sadar upazila in Comilla.
Eyewitnesses said that the microbus got stuck on the tracks while passing the unauthorised crossing at Lalmai’s Bijoypur Srinibash point about 12:00pm.
The passenger train dragged it to Mohonpur before stopping there.
Abu Taher died on the spot. Two others died later in hospital.
The microbus was used by a private security agency, sources said.
Laksam Railway (junction) in-charge Shymol Kanti Barua told New Age that they were taking action to lodge a case regarding the accident.
According to Bangladesh Railway, there are 2,497 level crossings across the country, of which 1,412 are approved by the railway and the rest have been constructed by other government authorities or local people without taking approval.
Only 466 of the level crossings (about 19 per cent) have gatekeepers, railway document shows.
More about:
