Safety Concerns Arise as Freight Train Collides with Passenger Train
Date: October 23, 2023
In a devastating incident that has sent shockwaves through the nation, a freight train collided with the rear coaches of a passenger train on Monday afternoon in Bhairab, a city located 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The catastrophic collision resulted in the tragic loss of 17 lives, while leaving 123 others injured, some critically. The accident occurred at the Jagannathpur rail crossing, and its impact was so severe that three carriages of the passenger train overturned.
The initial investigations suggest that a signal error may have been the cause of this horrific accident. Train accidents are not uncommon in Bangladesh, often attributed to poor infrastructure and unsupervised rail crossings. Just earlier this year, in April 2023, another train collision occurred in Comilla, south of Bhairab, where a Dhaka-bound passenger train collided with a freight train, and once again, a signal error was blamed for the incident.
The latest train collision has raised serious concerns about the safety of rail travel in Bangladesh. The government has initiated an investigation into the incident to determine its exact cause and prevent future tragedies like this one.
In the wake of this devastating event, our thoughts and condolences go out to the families of those who lost their loved ones, as well as those who were injured and affected by this tragic incident. This unfortunate incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for enhanced safety measures in the country’s rail transportation system.
Resources:
1.https://www.aol.com/news/bangladesh-goods-train-collides-passenger-013904645.html
2.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-67202429
3.https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/23/at-least-17-killed-in-bangladesh-train-collision