Railway authorities at Sirajganj have adopted measures to prevent accidents on the railway crossing near Salap Railway Station in Ullapara after a wedding party of 11 including the bride and groom were killed in a train and microbus crash.
The unguarded rail crossing had neither gates, nor a gateman making it a vulnerable spot for accidents.
The Railway Division in West has undertaken responsibilities of the crossing and has already appointed a gateman as well as put temporary bamboo barriers on either side.
“A gateman was appointed on Thursday (Jul 18) and all trees within half a kilometre of the rail crossing have been cut off. All illegal establishments will also be evicted in a couple of days,” said Sirajganj GRP police OC Harun Mazumder.
Pakshi Railway Division Engineer Ariful Islam said that there are 14 unguarded rail crossings on the Ishwardi-Dhaka and Ishwardi-Sirajganj routes.
“The railway is at a shortage of manpower at the moment. We need a total of 300 gatemen but there are only 110,” he said and added that gatemen are being temporarily appointed.
Eleven people, died after at on Jun 15 when a train crashed into a microbus that was part of a wedding party’s motorcade at Sirajganj’s Ullapara.