Twelve people were killed and 10 others injured when a running train smashed a passenger bus on Padur Bazar Rail Crossing in Comilla early today (Sunday).
The deceased comprises 7 men, 2 women and 3 children.
Following the devastating accident, train communications between Dhaka and Comilla have remained suspended.
Police and locals said the accident happended at about 3 o'clock at night after Saturday (March 21) midnight on Paduar Bazar rail crossing in Comilla city.
They said Dhaka-bound one-up train coming from Chattogram collided with Chattogram-bound passenger bus of Mamun Special Paribahan from Chapainawabganj . During the accident, the train dragged the bus up to one kilometer.
Receiving information, Fire Service and police personnel went to the spot and sent the deceased to Comilla Medical College Hospital after retrieving them from the bus.
Train passengers and locals alleged that the accident happened due to the negligence of railgate signalman. In spite of many attempts to communicate with 999 following the accident, none responded to the calls. They also expressed strong resentment over oit.
Fire Service and Civil Defense's deputy assistant director Md Idris said, "We assume that the accident happened after the got onto the rail line due to the absence of any signal on Paduar Bazar rail crossing."
Comilla EPZ Police Outpost's in-charge Md Saiful Islam said, "We tried to rescue the dead and injured receiving information at about 3 o'clock at night."
Comilla Medical College Hospital's emergency department's Dr Ajay Bhowmik said, "We have received 12 dead bodied at the hospital so far. Identities of two of them have been known. However, the identities of rest of the dead bodies are yet to be known."
END/CORRESPONDENT/ASA
