Oil train’s cars fall off a bridge in Chittagong

Furnace oil has spread to a canal in Chittagong after two tank cars of a train, shipping oil, fell off a bridge that caved in at Boalkhali in Chittagong.

Bangladesh Railways General Manager (East) Mozammel Haque said they sent rescuers to the scene after getting information about the accident around 1:30pm on Friday.

Locals hospitalised the locomotive driver and his assistant.

Railway officials say it will take at least two days to clear the leaked oil as locals fear the spilled oil could harm their crops in the fields near the canal.

Haque said the furnace oil was headed for the 100-megawatt peaking power plant at Dohazari from Chittagong.

Each of the eight tank cars can hold up to 33,640 litres.

The mishap occurred on the bridge 24 between Gomdandi and Dhalghat. Railway officials say the bridge was identified as ‘risky’ nine years ago.

Railway security staff Maksudur Rahman, who was on the train, said the bridge collapsed with a loud bang when the train was crossing it.

Two of the tankers sank into the Boalkhali canal. A third tanker was partially submerged while a fourth one tilted sideways.

The spilled oil had spread further.

Assistant Executive Engineer Abdul Halim and Senior Deputy Assistant Engineer (Bridge-1) Akbar Ahmed Ferdous have been suspended over the incident.

A three-strong committee has been formed to investigate the mishap.

Railway officials say a tender was floated for the bridge’s repairs last year but the contractor left without completing the job.

They said the court had issued a stay order on the bridge’s repairs after the contractor moved it.

Two rescue trains went to the site from Chittagong and Akhaurha.

Another locomotive from Chittagong removed four oil tank cars from the scene in the afternoon.

“The relief trains will start their work after the tank cars are pulled out and the bridge is repaired,” Haque said. “It’ll take at least two days.”

On July 31, 2013, a train, carrying furnace oil, went off the tracks at Kalurghat and spilled a large amount of oil in the Karnaphuli River.