Rescue work of derailed Mahua Express train has been completed at Kawraid railway station in Sreepur, Gazipur. Two bogies and an engine were recovered 17 hours after the accident. The rescue operation was completed at 5:30 am on Friday (January 21), said Master Al Amin Mridha of Kawraid Railway Station.
It is learned that at around 11:35 am on Thursday, the Mahua Express derailed in line number two in the station building area while entering Kawraid station. The four wheels of the two bogies of the train and the two wheels of the engine derailed. Then at 4:10 pm the relief train left Dhaka and started the rescue operation. The first bogie was recovered at 6:35 p.m. Another bogie was later recovered at 9.30 pm. The rescue operation was completed when the engine was rescued at 5:30 in the morning.
Station Master Aminul Islam was on duty at Kawraid railway station at the time of the accident. He said the Mahua Express train from Dhaka to Moranganj in Netrokona left Sreepur station at 11:12 pm. At 11:35 a.m., the engine and two bogies derailed before the train could enter the Kawraid station area.
He added that the repairmen were working to repair the railway line in the area of Kawraid railway station. When they removed the wooden slippers under line 2, the train movement on that line became unsuitable. The repairing company did not inform the Kawraid station master about the repair of line 2.
Meanwhile, the master on duty at the station allowed the Mahua Express train to enter Line 2 of the station without informing him. Later, as the train entered the station, an engine and two bogies derailed in the station building area. Some people were injured in the rush to get down.
Denying the allegations, Railway PW Mostafizur Rahman said that repairs were being carried out on the line since the morning after informing the station master. The station master said that the accident happened due to the wrong signal.
However, station master Aminul Islam said, “they were repairing the line without informing me. Passengers are also informed by miking multiple times before entering a train station how many lines the train will stop at. Miking was also done here, but the repairmen did not stop the train from entering line number two even after hearing the miking.”