At least 11 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 50 others were injured yesterday when a train rammed into a bus carrying a wedding party at a level crossing in Jhenaidah.
Six of the deceased were relatives of the groom, while the rest were his neighbours who were returning home after attending the wedding. The bride and the groom, along with some other relatives, escaped any injury as they were in a microbus that passed the level crossing moments before the accident.
Most of the injured remain in critical conditions and are receiving medical attention at different hospitals in Jhenaidah and Jessore, while at least three of the injured have been brought to Dhaka for better treatment.
Witnesses said the Khulna-bound Simanto Express had dragged the bus nearly half a kilometre on the tracks before the train driver was finally able to stop the locomotive.
Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of the Kaliganj police station, said a Toma Paribahan bus was returning from the wedding in Shako Mothanpur village and heading towards Phulahari village in Shailkupa upazila, when it was hit by the Simanto Express at Barobazar level crossing around 3:45am. Nine people were killed on the spot, while two more succumbed to their injuries later at Kaliaganj upazila health complex, he added.
“After the crash, the bus got stuck on the train’s front part and the train dragged it forward. After the incident, fire-fighters from Jhenaidah, Jessore, Kotchandpur and Kaliganj, along with the locals, started a rescue operation. They recovered a total of nine bodies from inside the bus and from the rail lines,” the OC said.
All the victims were from Phulahari village of Shailkupa upazila. Three of them belonged to the same family. The deceased were Sanjoy Kumar, 34, Sudhir Kumar Biswas, 40, Sujoy Kumar, 34, Biplob Biswas, 25, Shovon Dey, 25, Koushik Das, 8, Oishi, 7, Banya Rani, 65, Trisna Rani, 24, and Subal Kumar Biswas, who was around 45 years of age. The identity of one of the deceased, however, could not be known.
Police and railway authorities claimed that the accident took place because of the alleged negligence of two gatemen who were in charge of the level crossing in Barobazar under Kaliganj upazila – the site of the accident.
The gatemen were not present at the crossing to lower the barrier when the train was approaching, authorities concerned said.
Following the accident, Barobazar Station Master Turki Ahmed was suspended along with the gatemen concerned – Humayan Kabir and Mominur Rahman. However, the two gatemen have gone into hiding after the incident.
Meanwhile, Turki Ahmed told reporters that he had allowed the train to pass the Barobazar station only after being assured by the gatemen over the phone that they were on duty at the level crossing.
Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said a three-member probe body, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Nasrin Jahan, has been formed and asked to submit its report within the next three days.
Another three-member probe committee has also been formed by railway authorities and been directed to submit its report within a week, said Railway (west) Divisional Manager Mosharraf Hossain.
Describing the incident, bus passenger Krishna Chandra Datta said: “It was around 3:40am and it was dark outside. Suddenly there was a sound and the right side of the bus fell on the line and the train’s front side pierced into the left part of the bus. I felt like I was flying through the air and passed out.”
Krishna regained consciousness in a bush that was a few yards away from the accident site. “When rescuers pulled me out of the bush, I saw the train had dragged the bus far away. Some limbs and body parts were scattered around and some were on the train line. Injured people were crying for help,” he said.
“Those who were seated in the middle of the bus died on the spot as the train hit the middle part,” Krishna added.
Nimai Chandra Saha, a relative of the groom, said the marriage formalities were finished by 2am and they started the journey home after having dinner.
“It is only 55km from the bride’s home to the groom’s. Bride Josna Rani’s relatives requested us to stay the night there, but we refused as it would have taken only one and a half hours to go home. The wedding party in the bus was in a festive mood. We could not imagine what was going to happen. We had travelled only 4km before we reached the spot of the accident,” he said.
The bride, groom and some other relatives saw the accident take place as their microbus was just a few metres ahead of the bus, Nimai added.
When contacted over the phone, the groom Taposh Kumar Biswas, who was a librarian at a local school, was unable to say anything as he was crying. Another of Taposh’s relatives took the phone from him and told the Dhaka Tribune that the other family members had gone to cremate the bodies of their relatives. During the conversation, Taposh fainted twice.
The family was also preparing to take the newly married couple to a hospital as they were having fainting fits, he added.
Following the accident, Khulna’s train communication with Dhaka and Rajshahi was suspended for around eight hours. The line was finally cleared around 11:45am after a relief train from Khulna rescued the Simanto Express, said Railway Western Zone’s General Manager Abdul Awal Mia.