Locomaster reported about fire after crossing 12km from airport station
The locomaster of the Mohanganj Express train came to know about the fire after crossing nearly 12 kilometers from the airport station in Dhaka.
The policemen associated with the investigation suspect that the miscreants set fire to the train during its brief stopover at the station in the early hours on Tuesday.
The fire engulfed three compartments of the Dhaka-bound train and left at least four passengers dead and many injured.
Individuals concerned believe that the fatalities could be avoided had the locomaster learned about the fire and stopped the train instantly. It has now emerged as a burning question as to why the locomaster could not be informed about the fire earlier.
Nurul Haque Abdul Kader, a passenger who sustained injuries in the incident and is now undergoing treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, has claimed that the fire originated in the compartment he boarded.
According to his statement, he saw some people, dressed like security guards, bringing fire extinguishers when the fire originated inside his compartment and the train was crossing the Banani area at a regular speed.
The compartment supervisor could not inform the locomaster or the train director about the fire as he did not have their cell phone numbers
After a while, the compartment got filled with dense smoke, prompting him to approach a gate. As he was struggling to breath, he jumped off the train near the Tejgaon station.
The police said the miscreants in the guise of passengers have set fire to the train during the stopover at the airport station. The fire spread rapidly after crossing the station, but the locomaster could not sense it.
Generally, the railway authorities appoint a director in a train, and supervisors for each of the compartments. They are supposed to inform the locomaster about the fire or any other danger. But it did not happen in the Mohanganj Express train and the locomaster learned about the fire after reaching the Tejgaon area.
Asked about the issue, Anwar Hossain, superintendent of the railway police (SP) for the Dhaka district, said the compartment supervisor could not inform the locomaster or the train director about the fire as he did not have their cell phone numbers.
The locomaster said he takes care of the engine room and it is quite impossible for him to sense from the engine room if a compartment catches fire and nobody reports it to him
The SP advised this correspondent to contact the locomaster to know further explanations.
Dilip Kumar Mandal, a locomaster with 10 years of experience, was running the Mohanganj Express train from Netrokona to Dhaka. While talking to Prothom Alo, he said he takes care of the engine room and it is quite impossible for him to sense from the engine room if a compartment catches fire and nobody reports it to him.
He, however, stopped the train near the Tejgaon station immediately after being reported about the danger.
Khaled Mosharraf, the train director, said he was in the last compartment of the 14-bogie train. The fire broke out in the sixth compartment from the front and in the eighth from the back.
He saw a dense smoke in the preceding compartments while checking signal near the Tejgaon railway station. He passed a danger signal to the locomaster and the train stopped immediately.