At least 30 people injured in a head-on collision between two express trains at Phulbari railway station in Dinajpur early Tuesday. Witnesses said that the accident took place at around 3:40am when Dinajpur-bound Ekota Express train coming from Dhaka collided head-on with Khulna-bound Simanta Express train which was standing at Phulbari railway station, leaving at least 30 passengers injured.
Ekota Express train entered the same line, defying cautionary signal and collided head-on with Simanta Express train, they added.
Two bogies of Ekota Express and one bogie of Simanta Express were badly damaged in the accident.
On information, fire fighters from Phulbari Fire Brigade and Civil Defence reached the spot and rescued injured persons.
The injured were taken to Phulbari Upazila Health Complex. Later, three of them were referred to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.
Train communications of Dinajpur with Dhaka, Khulna and Rajshahi were restored at 10:00am seven hours after the accident.
Western Railway Zone and Pakshey railway authorities and district administration had formed three probe committees to investigate the incident, said Dinajpur deputy commissioner Ahmed Shamim Al Raji.
The Western Railway Zone general manager Ferdous Alam said that four railway staff members were suspended following the accident.
They are Phulbari railway stationmaster Abdul Hamid, lineman Yunus Ali, Ekota Express driver Abdul Karim and his assistant Sariful Islam.
Locals alleged that some employees of the railway station, including the
stationmaster, went into hiding soon after the accident.
New Age correspondent in Lalmonirhat said that train communications between Lalmonirhat and other parts of the country remained suspended for six hours as a passenger train derailed near Teesta railway station in the district around 8:30am.
Railway Divisional Train Control Room sources said a Parbatipur-bound local train derailed near the Teesta station.
-With New Age input
