Seventeen people killed as goods train crashes into passenger train in Bangladesh

Authorities in eastern Bangladesh have reported that at least 17 individuals have lost their lives and many others were injured in a train collision. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon in Bhairab, approximately 80km (50 miles) northeast of Dhaka, when a freight train crashed into the rear coaches of a passenger train. An unnamed railway official told BBC Bengali that the collision was likely caused by a signal error. Train accidents are not uncommon in Bangladesh due to inadequate infrastructure. The collision caused three carriages of the passenger train, named Egarsindhur Twilight, to overturn, resulting in the immediate deaths of 14 individuals. Two coaches were severely damaged. Mohammad Masud, the chief of the local fire service, stated that numerous people were trapped inside following the collision, and most of the victims died on the spot. Three more individuals died at the hospital, where around 50 injured individuals are currently receiving treatment. Anowar Hossain, the superintendent of Dhaka Railway Police, announced that the death toll may rise further as rescue operations are ongoing. Local residents provided assistance to the victims before rescue teams arrived. The hospital faced difficulties handling the influx of injured individuals and required additional support from nearby medical facilities. Bangladeshi authorities have initiated a formal investigation into the cause of the accident. Previous incidents have attributed accidents to signal errors, poor track conditions, and unsupervised rail crossings. In a similar incident in April, a passenger train collided with a freight train in Comilla, south of Bhairab, resulting in several injuries. That incident was also attributed to a signal error.