11 die in train-bus collision

At least 11 passengers of a bus, including two children, died when a train crashed into it at a railway crossing at Jhenaidah's Kaliganj early on Friday.

Train links between Khulna and the rest of Bangladesh remained snapped for around seven hours after the accident.

Officials said the train smashed the crowded bus, which was carrying a groom's family and friends back from a wedding, at the Barobazar crossing.

56 passengers of the ill-fated bus were injured, many of who are serious.

Jhenaidah’s Deputy Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said the ‘Simanta Express’ travelling to Khulna from Syedpur was passing through the Barobazar level crossing around 3:45am.

The bus drove on to the unmanned railway crossing without checking for the incoming train.

The crossing appears to have been unmanned and open.

“The train ploughed through the bus and dragged it for about 500 metres along the tracks,” Islam said.

Local people, fire service and police began rescuing the victims and retrieved nine bodies, mostly of children and women, from the spot.

Thirty of those wounded were taken to Jessore Medical College and Hospital and the rest were admitted to hospitals in Jhenaidah and Kaliganj.

One of them died at Kaliganj hospital while doctors said 10 others were in critical condition. Another death was reported later.

Authorities identified 10 victims. They are, Sudhir Kumar, 40, Biplab Biswas, 25, Sujoy Saha, 30, Shovon Dey, 2, Alak Kundu, Banya Rani, 35, her son Koushik Adhikary, 8, Krishna, 20, Bimal Biswas, 45, and Ujjal Das, 25.

DC Shafiqul Islam said the bus passengers were returning to Phulhari village of Shailakupa Upazila after the wedding ceremony at Sako Mothonpur in Kaliganj.

Jenaidah SP Jahidul Islam said they were looking into whether the negligence of the gateman at the crossing caused the crash.

Train links between Khulna and the rest of Bangladesh were restored at around 11 am after a salvage train from Khulna hauled away the wreckage of the bus from the site of the accident.

Accidents such as these, frequent in Bangladesh, are blamed on railways’ poor maintenance and human errors.

There are hundreds of unmanned crossings across the country, especially in remote areas.

Lack of resources, stall efforts of rail authorities to man the dangerous crossings round the clock.

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