At least 11 people were killed after a speeding train hit a microbus at a level crossing in Mirsharai upazila of Chattogram on Friday.
Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.
“The incident took place around 1:40pm in the Bara Takia area,” said Chattogram Railway Police SP Hasan Chowdhury.
Confirming the figures of casualties, Mirsharai police station Officer-in-Charge Kabir Hossain said all the victims were passengers of the microbus.
Police and witnesses said the Chattogram-bound Mahanagar Provati rammed into the microbus while it was crossing the level crossing.
The vehicle was dragged several hundred metres down the railway track.
They said the victims were returning after visiting Khaiachara waterfall in Mirsharai.
Meanwhile, the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) said the microbus was carrying 14 tourists.
The fire service members found 11 bodies on the spot and rescued another person who was whisked off to a hospital, according to the media cell of FSCD.
“Two other individuals escaped unhurt.”
Process of handing over bodies to the local police was underway, it added.
All the casualties were from the microbus. Eleven of them died on the spot while another succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital, said Khorshed Alam, in charge of Sitakundu police outpost.
“There were 14 passengers on the microbus and two of them were rescued safely by members of two units of fire service deployed in the area”, said Shahjahan Sikder, deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate.
“The identities of the deceased could not be known yet but they were all male aged between 20-30 years. They were all tourists heading toward Khoiyachora waterfall in Mirsharai from Aman Bazar area in Hathazari upazila,” he said.
“The microbus got on the rail track breaking through bamboo barrier at the level crossing and got hit by the train. Rail operation on the route remained suspended after the accident,” said Ansar Ali, transportation officer of Bangladesh Railway (east).
