Dhaka-bound Sonar Bangla Express hit a freight train at Nangalkot of Cumilla causing seven carriages and the locomotive to derail this evening.
At least 30 people were injured and five among them were in serious condition, said Jashim Uddin Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Laksham Railway Police Station.
He said the five seriously injured were sent to hospitals.
The express train from Chattogram rear-ended the stationary freight train at Hasanpur Railway Station of Cumilla, claimed locals.
Abidur Rahman, divisional railway manager (Chattogram), such a collision with a freight train is rare. “I cannot say what caused it. A four-member probe body, led by Divisional Transport Officer (Chattogram) Tarique Md Imran, has been formed.”
However, a railway official said the signalling system was broken at the station and that the switch there was mistakenly directing trains to a loop line instead of the main line, which does not require a train to stop at the station.
The official claimed that the express was doing 70kmph when it hit the freight train, causing extensive damage to carriages.
Of the seven carriages that got damaged, three were AC chair carriages and four were non-AC carriages.