Official blames tracks bent by heatwave as train derails in Brahmanbaria

Several compartments of a freight train have derailed in Brahmanbaria, disrupting Dhaka-bound services from Chattogram and Sylhet.

An official blamed the ongoing heatwave for the accident that occurred in Dariyapur around 1pm on Thursday.

Brahmanbaria Railway Station Master Md Rafiqul Islam said the lines bent due to excessive heat, causing seven coaches to derail.

A heatwave is sweeping over vast swathes of Bangladesh. Temperatures have fallen slightly after weeks of oppressive heat.

The highest temperature in Brahmanbaria on Thursday was 36 degrees Celsius, compared with 38 degrees a few days ago.

Asked why the railway lines bent at 36 degrees when it was not bent at the time when it reached 38 degrees Celsius, Rafiqul said: "We do not have an answer to that question. All we know is that the line was bent due to the heat."

Train operations for Dhaka-bound trains from Chattogram and Sylhet through the up line continued to face disruptions even after 8pm as the repair work remained unfinished.

All trains were running behind schedule, as the up line was being used by trains from both directions.

A rescue train from Akhaura arrived in the afternoon and began the rescue operation.

The station manager said that around 400 metres of railway track and sleepers were damaged in the accident, and it would take approximately three hours to repair the damage and resume train operations after rescuing the train.

The inter-city Chattala Express train from Chattogram to Dhaka passed the accident site around 6pm, about four and a half hours after the scheduled time.

Mymensingh-bound inter-city Bijoy Express crossed Brahmanbaria over four hours late.