17 dead and many injured after trains collide outside Bangladesh capital

A freight train smashed into the passenger train from behind about 80km from national capital Dhaka

Policemen stand guard at the site of an accident where a cargo train hit a passenger train at Bhairab, Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh, Monday, 23 October 2023, leaving more than dozen people dead and scores injured (Associated Press)

At least 17 people were killed and many others left injured after two trains collided in eastern Bangladesh.

A freight train had collided with a passenger train in Bhairab, about 80km northeast of national capital Dhaka, on Monday.

The freight train smashed into the passenger train from behind, crumpling two coaches, superintendent of Dhaka Railway Police Anowar Hossain told the media.

“Seventeen bodies have been recovered and many injured taken to hospital,” Mr Hossain said of the 15-hour-long rescue operation. He had, earlier when the rescue efforts were ongoing, warned that the death toll could climb.

The exact number of those left injured has still not been confirmed, though a local fire official told the Associated Press that the figure was 26. Some reports have said hundreds had gotten injured in the crash.

On Tuesday, the Dhaka Tribune reported that the coaches from the two trains were removed from the tracks at around 4.20am local time and by 6.30am, the line was fully ready for train movement.

It may, however, take more than a day for services to return to normal, the report said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collision. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

On Tuesday morning, the Fire Service and Civil Defence formed a five-member probe body which has been asked to submit a report within five working days, according to local media.

“Initial reports suggest the freight train broke the signal, leading to the tragedy,” Mr Hossain said.

According to an unnamed railway official who spoke to BBC Bengali, it is probable that a signal error was responsible for the collision.

“The signal was most probably red for the container train,” Md Quamrul Ahsan, director general of the Bangladesh Railway told reporters on Tuesday.

“So far, it seems that the train overshot the signal. The investigation committee will provide a definitive answer after their investigation,” he said.

Rescuers joined residents in extracting passengers from the wreckage of the train cars, said local fire official Mosharraf Hossain.

“It’s a chaotic situation,” he said.

“Many people got trapped inside after the collision. When it happened, most of the people died then,” Mohammad Masud, local fire service chief, told reporters.

The crash occurred when two rear coaches of the Dhaka-bound Egarosindur Godhuli Express passenger train were hit by a cargo train heading to Chattogram city.

Apart from signal errors, previous accidents in Bangladesh have been attributed to subpar track conditions and unattended rail crossings.