Twenty-seven hours after a commuter train collided with an oil-carrying train at the Joydebpur Railway Junction in Gazipur on Friday, the salvage operation has yet to make significant progress.
The collision, which occurred near Kazi Bari around 10am on Friday, disrupted train communication between Dhaka and the northern-eastern region for two hours.
Despite the ongoing efforts, the rescue teams have struggled to clear the two oil-laden wagons and two commuter train bogies. As of 2pm on Saturday, the operation is still underway while train services on the Dhaka-Joydebpur route continue to operate through an alternate line.
Preparations are being made to replace the damaged sleepers on either side of the affected line. Trains are operating at very slow speeds on the other line. Workers from the Railway Engineering Department were seen working on the track.
Joydebpur Junction Railway Station Master Hanif Ali confirmed the information on Saturday afternoon.
“It initially took one and a half hours to salvage the derailed bogies. Nine bogies from the two trains were derailed in the incident,” he said.
A relief train was dispatched to the scene in the afternoon to assist with the salvage operations. Additionally, two platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed on Friday to support the rescue efforts.
The rescue operations, still incomplete after 29 hours, have disrupted the schedule of all trains traveling between Dhaka and Mymensingh and the northern regions, leading to the cancellation of six trains and causing severe inconvenience to waiting passengers. Passengers have expressed frustration over the delayed trains.
Joydebpur Fire Service Senior Station Officer Samad Mia said since last night, the Petroleum Corporation has been transferring oil-filled wagons towards Tongi.
Junction Railway Police In-charge, Setabar Rahman, said that he is at the site to ensure safety. On Saturday, the BGB was involved in securing the oil wagons.
The railway authorities have reported that the train's oil tanker has been damaged and oil is leaking. These need to be transferred first to prevent any further accidents.
Joydebpur Railway Station Duty Station Master Al Yasbah said trains are being operated on a rationing system due to one line being operational. Trains at the nearby Dhirasram Station and Joydebpur Junction are being held and allowed to proceed one at a time in both directions, disrupting all schedules. Some trains have also been delayed.
After the Gazipur train derailment, the Station Master Hashem, pointsman Saddam Hossain, and Mostafizur Rahman at Joydebpur Railway Junction were temporarily suspended by the railway authorities.
Additionally, the locomotive masters Sharif Mahmud, 38, Habibur Rahman, 58, and assistant locomotive master Sobuj Hasan, 46, were injured and are currently receiving treatment at Shaheed Taj Uddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur.
In response to the accident, authorities have established three probe committees to investigate the causes and contributing factors of the collision.
