Dhaka, Dec 19 (EFE).- At least four people were killed as a train caught fire near a railway station in Bangladesh’s capital on Tuesday, the fire service said.
A charred train compartment after an unidentified person set it on fire, during a nationwide dawn-to-dusk strike, at the Kamlapur Railway Station in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 19 December 2023. EFE-EPA/MONIRUL ALAM
The incident happened around 5 am on the Mohanganj Express train near Dhaka’s Tejgaon railway station, fire service on-duty officer Rakibul Hasan told EFE.
A man looks at a charred train compartment after an unidentified person set it on fire, during a nationwide dawn-to-dusk strike, at the Kamlapur Railway Station in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 19 December 2023. EFE-EPA/MONIRUL ALAM
The train was arriving in Dhaka from the northeastern town of Netrokona, he said.
Hasan explained that three coaches of the passenger train caught fire and three fire service units brought it under control in half an hour.
“We searched the bogies after the fire was brought under control and found four bodies inside. There is no news of anyone being injured,” he added.
Hasan could not immediately confirm the reason behind the fire.
The incident occurred about an hour before opposition political parties began enforcing a day-long strike demanding the cancellation of the upcoming general election on Jan. 7 and the resignation of the government.
Last week, Bangladesh authorities, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, blamed the opposition parties after suspected saboteurs uprooted a railway track near Dhaka, causing the derailment of the same Mohanganj Express and killing at least one person.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) denied any involvement in last week’s incident and demanded a judicial inquiry.
The BNP and other major opposition parties have said they will boycott the upcoming election in which the ruling Awami League is set to be elected for a fourth consecutive term. EFE
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