At least four people, including three from a family, were killed as a train rammed a CNG-powered autorickshaw at a level crossing in the Rashidnagar area at Ramu in Cox鈥檚 Bazar on Saturday.
At about 2:00pm on the day, Dhaka-bound Cox鈥檚 Bazar Express hit the autorickshaw in the Rashidnagar area and dragged it for about one kilometre, said Bangladesh Railway鈥檚 Ramu station assistant master Akhter Hossain.
All the victims in the accident were travelling in the autorickshaw. The driver of the autorickshaw was also among the deceased.
The deceased are Asmaul Hosna, 26, daughter of Md Zafar Alam, Ataullah Osmani, one-and-a-half-year old son of Asmaul, Renu Akhter, 32, sister of Asmaul, and Habibur Rahman, 40, son of Syed Nur, said government railway police鈥檚 Cox鈥檚 Bazar camp in-charge inspector Md Shahjalal. Habibur was聽 the autorickshaw driver.聽
Bangladesh Railway鈥檚 Chattogram railway divisional manager ABM Kamruzzaman said that a three-member committee had been formed to investigate the incident.
He said that the level crossing in the Rashidnagar area was unauthorised.
鈥榃e had installed a notice there, mentioning that the level crossing has no gate and keeper,鈥� he said.
Protesting at the accident, agitated locals kept the Dhaka-bound Cox鈥檚 Bazar Express halted for a brief period of time and they also kept Cox鈥檚 Bazar-bound Parjatan Express halted for about three hours at the Panichhara area on the Dhaka-Cox鈥檚 Bazar route, Akhter Hossain said.
鈥楶arjatan Express finally resumed its journey towards Cox鈥檚 Bazar at about 5:00pm,鈥� the assistant station master said.
Cox鈥檚 Bazar camp in-charge inspector Md Shahjalal said at about 9:00pm on Saturday that following identifications, the bodies were handed over to the deceased鈥檚 respective families without autopsy as per the demands of the families.
He said that an unnatural death case would be filed with the Chattogram railway police station.聽
