Train communication with Sylhet resumes 28 hours after rail links snap

About 28 hours after the derailment of an oil laden train in Sylhet, rail communication across the country has returned to normal. 

After repairing the damaged railway line, train communication became normal around 3am on Saturday. Sylhet Railway Station Manager Md Khalilur Rahman confirmed the matter.

He said that after the repair, the Upobon left at 3:15am, Kalni at 6:15 am and Jayantika at 11:15am.

The accident took place around 12am on Thursday, when 10 of the 21 wagons of the oil-carrying train leaving Chittagong for Sylhet derailed at Gutigaon in Maijgaon of Fenchuganj upazila of Sylhet.

Also read: Rail links to Sylhet snap as oil carriages derail

A three-member rescue team arrived with a rescue train from Kulaura late at night. As of 9am on Friday, they had recovered only one of the 10 derailed oil-laden wagons. Then another relief train came from Akhaura and expedited the rescue operation. 

Then on Saturday night at 3am the train communication became normal.

Rescue workers said the derailment displaced about 800 metres of the railway sleepers. So, the whole line had to be repaired. 

Due to the accident, two trains had to leave for Dhaka from Kulaura railway station in Moulvibazar instead of Sylhet.

A five-member probe body headed by Railway Divisional Transport Officer Khairul Islam has been formed to find the cause of the incident, Sylhet Railway Divisional Manager Md Sadeq confirmed to Dhaka Tribune. 

He said the investigation report has to be submitted within three days.

It is learned that 40,000 liters of oil was being transported in each wagon. Of these, about 160,000 liters of oil from four wagons spilled on the land and in the ditch next to the railway line. And locals rushed to collect oil from there.

One of the residents of the area said: “The oil spilled on the ground is being wasted. We are only collecting that oil. It is better to take it home than to let it go to waste.”