Train crash injures 40 in Lalmonirhat

At least 40 passengers were injured when a moving train hit a stationary one at Kakina Railway Station in Lalmonirhat-Burimari land port yesterday morning, reports our Lalmonirhat correspondent.

Police said a Lalmonirhat-bound train was stationary at Kakina station when a train coming to Burimari from Lalmonirhat town hit it around 8:50am.

The train was supposed to arrive at the second platform of the station but due to wrong signalling by Kakina station staff it arrived at the first platform where the other train was waiting.

However, Abu Taher, the station master, claimed that the signal was correct and the train driver misunderstood.

The incoming train had slowed down before it hit the stationary one, thus the damage was not as worse as suspected, said witnesses.

Train communications on the 90-km Lalmonirhat-Burimari route remained suspended till 12:40pm, said railway officials.     

The injured passengers were taken to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex, Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital and Rangpur Medical College Hospital, police said.

Most of the passengers sustained injuries as they jumped from the train seeing it was about to hit another one, said police.

Meanwhile, agitated locals vandalised the ticket counters and doors and windows of the station master's room after the accident. 

Tahidar Rahman, driver of the train, claimed the accident occurred due to negligence of the station master as he did not give the correct signal.

A four-member team led by Lalmonirhat Railway Divisional Traffic Superintendent Mostafizur Rahman was formed to probe the matter. It was asked to submit the probe report to the Divisional Railway Manager within 24 hours, railway sources said.

Meanwhile, a teenager was crushed by an intercity train near Nandina Railway Station in Jamalpur Sadar early yesterday, according to our Jamalpur correspondent.

The deceased was Ikbal Hossain, 17, of Machhimpur village. He fell asleep on the rail tracks, said locals.

The body was sent to Jamalpur General Hospital for an autopsy.