At least 11 people died and seven others have been critically injured as a train hit a microbus at a rail crossing in Mirsharai of Chattogram today (July 29).
Hasan Chowdhury, superintendent of Railway Police in Chattogram, confirmed the death toll to our Chattogram staff correspondent.
The microbus tried to cross the rail crossing forcefully, ignoring the gateman’s request, when the train hit the vehicle, leaving 11 people dead on the spot, Jahangir Hossain, general manager (East) of Bangladesh Railway, told The Daily Star.
Mirsharai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Minhazur Rahman, however, said there was no gateman at the crossing when the accident happened.
Chittagong Railway Superintendent of Police (SP) Hasan Chowdhury told the Daily Star that the gateman Saddam was being questioned by police.
Other than this, the UNO could not specify whether the rail crossing was illegal or not.
The incident occurred around 1:45pm in Borotakiya area of Mirsharai. On information, Mirsharai fire service personnel went to the spot and recovered 11 bodies and rescued three other passengers of the microbus and sent them to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, said Imam Hossain, station officer of the fire service station.
The victims were all residents of Yunus Nagar area under Chikondondi union of Hathazari upazila.
They were on their way back after visiting Khaiyachhara waterfall when the Chattogram-bound Probhati Express train hit their microbus and dragged it for at least one kilometer, according to Shahidul Islam, a witness.
