A train moving towards Chattogram had a collision with a Khagrachari bound bus belonging to S Alam group.

Gateman of the rail crossing, Mohammad Arif, said that during the collision, the rail crossing barrier was not lowered.

Mohammad Arif also said: “I was on duty at the rail crossing during the accident and was not told of any advancing train but since I knew that Bijoy Express usually passed at a certain time, I set an alarm on my mobile phone.”

After the alarm rang, I woke up and found the train coming and released the barrier by the down line but the up-line barrier could not be released since a wire was torn, he added.

Mohammad Arif blames the bus driver for his carelessness and lack of alertness.

“The train gave a whistle before coming to the crossing; if the driver had heard the whistle, the mishap would not have happened.”

When the station master, Mainul Huda, was asked why the gateman was not informed, he said he was not on duty but assistant station master, Wahidur Rahman, was present.

The assistant station master could not be found over the phone.

In the accident, one person was killed and 23 injured. Of the injured, 15 were admitted to the Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Most of the wounded are from Khagrachari. The dead bus passenger is Nirmol Chakma, who worked at the Khagrachari district administrator’s office.

The railway authority has formed a four-member committee to investigate the accident with east zone traffic official, Feroj Iftekhar, as head. The committee has been asked to submit a report within three days.

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