A collective effort to save lives
It was around 9:00pm.
Golapbagh resident Almas Hossain was standing on the balcony of his sixth-floor apartment. Suddenly, he saw a train approaching. On any other day, he would not be that curious to look at it twice.
However, something was different this time. The approaching train had smoke billowing from one of its compartments.
Almas went downstairs, climbed over a wall and rushed to the train, which halted there.
By then a few others also gathered there and saw smoke coming out of compartment "Cha".
People in the area started getting water in buckets and containers. However, there was a wall between them. So, they started handing over those to Almas and others on the other side of the wall.
Luckily, the fire service showed up by then.
"Many joined the rescue efforts by sprinkling water with hosepipes," Almas told this correspondent.
Shishir, a mechanic, was also one of the residents who joined Almas as they tried to save the passengers.
"I was returning home after work. I heard screams and saw that smoke was coming out of the train," he said.
Soon, Shishir jumped into action. He went inside the compartment and saw a woman holding her child in her arms and crying. Shishir quickly pulled the two and helped them get off the train.
Shishir helped three more passengers.
Abdul Ahad, a student of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, said more than a hundred locals came out to help. "My friend Badal and I pulled out many passengers from the compartment."
"It was a collective effort that saved many lives," he said. "The response of the whole area prevented what could have been a catastrophe."
By then, the compartment caught fire forcing them to leave the compartment while the fire service continued its efforts.
All of these rescuers were exhausted and parched but they managed to save most of the passengers.
However, there were some melancholic moments too.
Shaheen Alam, a conservatory worker of Dhaka South City Corporation, saw a man trying to escape through the window.
"As I tried to help him, he said his wife and child were still inside the train," Shaheen told this correspondent.
"He kept on saying -- please save my wife and child," Shaheen said.
"Suddenly a burst of flame came out of nowhere," he said. "All of us had to step back due to the fire and heat."
"I could not save him... I tried... but just could not. I don't know what happened to his wife and child."
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