Sylhet Train Derailment: Those responsible to face action

Whoever is responsible for the deadly train derailment in Boromchal area of Moulvibazar’s Kualura upazila will be punished, said Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan.

The minister made the remark yesterday while visiting the victims of the accident that left at least four people killed and over 100 injured.

“We formed probe committees to thoroughly investigate the accident. If the probe reports find negligence of any official, no matter who the person is, he or she will be punished,” the minister said.

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Train was overcrowded, say passengers

On Sunday, Upaban Express, a Dhaka-bound intercity train from Sylhet, derailed on a bridge in Kulaura. One of the carriages of the train fell into a canal while two others fell close to the canal’s banks.

Several passengers of the train alleged that the carriages were overcrowded.

Responding to a question regarding the complaints, the minister said, “Carrying more pas-sengers than its capacity in any vehicle -- trains, buses or vessels -- is risky. For the sake of their own safety, we urge the passengers not to board on any vehicle that exceeded its capacity.”

The minister also announced that the government would provide Tk 10,000 as financial aid for the injured victims in the accident. Besides, the family members of the dead would re-ceive Tk 100,000.

After the announcement, the minister visited two injured victims at a local hospital and handed over Tk 10,000 to each of them.

He also handed over Tk 100,000 to the family members of late Fahmida Yasmin, of Sylhet’s Dakshin Surma upazila, who died in the accident.

Then the minister went to Kulaura Health Complex to visit other victims of the accident.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin accompanied the railway minister during the visit.

“Many wildlife are also suffering as the rail tracks go through forests. We will construct bar-ricades beside the rail tracks to protect wildlife,” Shahab said.

Both the ministers reached Sylhet Railway Station yesterday morning via Upaban Express, the same train that suffered the accident, and returned to Dhaka via Parabat Express.

Meanwhile, two probe committees that were formed to investigate the accident of Upaban Express got an extra day to complete their investigation.

The four-member committee led by Mizanur Rahman, chief mechanical engineer of Bang-ladesh Railways (east zone), was supposed to complete investigation yesterday, Rail Secre-tary Mofazzal Hossain said.

“However, they were provided with an extra day [to complete the investigation],” Mofazzal Hossain told The Daily Star, adding that the members of the probe committee were busy yesterday as the rail minister visited the accident spot.

The second probe committee led by Mainul Islam, divisional transport officer of Bangladesh Railways (Dhaka division), also failed to submit its report yesterday.