Dhaka, Oct 23 (EFE).- At least 17 people were killed and many others injured when a container train hit a passenger train in Bangladesh’s central Kishoreganj district on Monday, police said.
The incident occurred around 3:30pm near the station when a Chittagong-bound container train hit the Dhaka-bound passenger train Egarosindhur Express, Sirajul Islam, duty officer of Bhairab Railway Police station – where the incident occurred -, told EFE.
The accident caused the last two bogies of the passenger train to derail, each carrying at least 60 passengers, he said.
Bhairab’s local administration chief Sadiqur Rahman told EFE at least 17 bodies have been recovered so far, although the numbers could be higher.
“We suspect there were over 200 passengers in two bogies that had been derailed. Many of them were injured. I cannot give an exact number now,” Rahman said.
The collision between the trains took place as the passenger train was changing lanes while the container train arrived.
Although train accidents are not uncommon in Bangladesh, this has been one of the worst recorded in recent years.
At least 16 people were killed when two passenger trains collided in Bhramanbaria district in November 2019.
In July of last year, at least 11 people were killed and three others injured when a train hit a minibus carrying local tourists from Dhaka to the coastal town of Chittagong. EFE
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