Dhaka-bound inter-city Parabat Express rammed into a bus on Sunday night on the Mohakhali level crossing in Dhaka leaving at least three people injured.The accident occurred at about 10:40pm. Witnesses said, bus driver Liakat Hossain, 32, his assistant ‘Sazzat’ and a passenger were injured.
Hossain and the passenger were rushed to the nearby Ayesha Memorial Hospital in critical condition. They were taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital around 11:30pm.
Banani Police Station Sub-Inspector Golam Rabbani also said massive casualties were averted as most passengers of the bus got down quickly when it had stopped right on the railway tracks.
Sazzat told bdnews24.com: “The engine of the bus stopped right after it got on to the railway tracks. The bar at the gate of the railway crossing came down at the same time the train was approaching.
“The passengers got off the bus quickly. I also called Hossain to get down. But he tried to start the engine again.”
“Then the train hit our bus in a matter of seconds,” he said.
The accident has caused a massive gridlock on both sides of the crossing.
bdnews24.com’s Deputy News Editor Monirul Islam from the scene said rescuers were working to tow the bus away from the busy road. The front of the bus was completely mangled.
However, rescuers said a huge number of onlookers were slowing them down.
Auto-rickshaw driver Mohammad Ali, a witness, said, “I saw the train heading towards Kamalapur hit the bus. The bus was thrown off the road and it landed on the level crossing’s security room.
“I didn’t know whether anyone was in that room. Then I saw the bus driver and his assistant were lying on the road injured.”
But he could not say whether there were any more passengers on the bus. – bdnews24.com
