Unmanned level crossings kill 25 in two years
About 20 unsafe level crossings on the Dhaka-Chittagong rail track at Sitakunda, in Chittagong, have turned into death traps, killing at least 25 people in the past two years. Of the 20 level crossings, there is no gate or gate-man at nine. Though there are gates in 11 crossings, it is alleged that the gate-men are loath to perform their duties ever.
Locals alleged that most accidents took place due to the negligence of the gate-men and that though the gate-men were on duty during daytime, at night they cannot be found anywhere near the crossings.
The accident that took place at Fouzdarhat area on Thursday morning was caused because of a gate man’s negligence of duty, locals and officials of Bangladesh Railways (BR) said.
Locals said that in January 2011, a CNG auto-rickshaw was stuck due to a mechanical glitch on the level crossing at SKM Jute Mill, where four passengers of the auto-rickshaw were killed. In July the same year, another auto-rickshaw was stuck at the level crossing of Sitakunda Eco Park and a train coming from Dhaka crushed it, leaving six people dead.
In August 2011, a jeep belonging to Pragati Industries was thrown at least 20 yards away by a train, which killed five officials of the industry at the level crossing in front of the factory. Besides, in separate accidents, two people were killed at Port Link Logistics level crossing, another five were killed at Bhatiary, Kumira and Kadam Rasul level crossings.
Even on Friday morning, no gate-men or security guards were found at the Port Link Logistics and Banurbazar level crossing in Sitakunda. Container carriers, covered vans, and loaded trucks were found plying through the level crossing, on the signals given by helpers of the heavy commercial vehicles.
According to BR, there are about 2,606 level crossings in the country. Of these, 1,249 level crossings (including 978 legal and 271 illegal crossings) are in the East Zone. There are only 221 guards or gate men for the 987 legal crossings, which leaves 757 legal and 271 illegal crossings always unsafe. On the other hand, there are only 191 gate men for 1,355 level crossings, including 510 legal and 845 illegal.
Sources at the BR said that most of the legal and illegal level crossings fell under the jurisdiction of the Roads and Highway Department. Besides, there were a good number of illegal level crossings put up by different units of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The government authorities had developed the level crossings without taking permission of the BR, sources added.
Acknowledging that the gate-man was not present at the level crossing when the accident took place at Fouzdarhat on Thursday, BR (East Zone) general manager Mohammad Tafazzal Hosen said: “The accident severely damaged the rail track at the crossing and the engine of the train. However, it will not cause passengers any problems, ahead of Eid.”
-With The Independent input
