At least two people were killed and 40 others injured when a coach of Chittagong Mail train got derailed near Akhaura Rail Junction Colony on Thursday, disrupting communications for five hours.
The dead were identified as Mostakin, 25, of Netrokona and Nurul Amin, 45, of Kishoreganj’s Ishwarganj. The injured passengers were admitted to Akhaura railway hospital and Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital.
Saidur Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Akhaura Railway Police said, “The train veered off the tracks at about 3am while crossing Akhaura Rail Junction Colony area. Many passengers inside the train were thrown off the coach due to the impact of the mishap.”
Mostakim and Amin died on the spot while 40 more passengers received injuries in the accident that also kept thousands of passengers travelling on different routes stranding for hours, the OC said.
The cause of derailment was not immediately known, but a committee would be formed soon to investigate it, Abdul Motalib, station superintendent of the Akhaura junction said.
Following the incident, the Chittagong-bound ‘Turna Nishitha Express’ got stuck in Brahmanbaria station, Sylhet-bound Sylhet Mail at Talshar station, Sylhet-bound Surma Mail at Brahmanbaria and Akhaura-bound Titas at Paghachang.
Three more Dhaka-bound trains — Turna Nishitha Express from Chittagong, Chittagong Mail train from Akhaura and Demu train from Comilla — also stranded at different places. The rail service, which came to halt immediately due to the derailment, was restored at around 8:25am after a salvage train managed to remove the derailed coach.
-With The Independent input
