'Udayan Express was tossed 10 feet from the ground'

One of the survivors of the collision between two trains -- Turna Nishitha and Udayan Express -- that killed at least 16 and injured more than 100 in Brahmanbaria thought the train had been bombed.

"The train was pushed so hard that I thought it went up to more than 10 feet and then crashed on the ground. It looked like someone had hurled a bomb on the train," said Kawsar, 28, a passenger of the Udayan Express.

All the bodies were allegedly recovered from the Udayan Express.

Kawsar is now undergoing treatment at the Comilla Medical College Hospital with broken bones and other injuries.

The CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver told Prothom Alo, "I came out of the train with the help of the rescuers. Before that, they recovered the body of a three-year old girl."

"So far, 16 bodies have been recovered," deputy commissioner Hayat Ud Dowlah Khan said, warning that the toll could rise during the rescue effort by fire service, police, border guard and army officials.

The accident took place when Dhaka-bound Turna Nishitha from Chattogram and Chattogram-bound Udayan Express from Sylhet collided at 2:48am, the DC added.

According to witnesses and station officials, the two trains came to be on the same track because the driver of Turna Nishitha violated a signal given at the Mandbagh railway station, mangling three compartments of the Udayan Express.

The injured are now undergoing treatment at hospitals in Kasba, Akhaura, Brahmanbaria and Cumilla.

The train services between Dhaka and Chattogram remain suspended following the accident.