At least 66 injured as Nilsagar Express derails in Santahar after ignoring locomotive signal

Due to the locomotive master disregarding signals, nine compartments of the Nilshagor Express were derailed near Bagbari area, just outside Santahar Junction in Adamdighi, Bogura. This accident occurred around 2:30 PM today, Wednesday.

An official from Adamdighi Fire Service and Civil Defense station stated that they have rescued 48 injured people so far. Meanwhile, the Railway Ministry reports that the number of injured is 66.

A four-member investigation committee has been formed regarding the train compartment derailment incident, as stated by Ahmed Hossain Masum, the chief engineer of the western region of the railway. Rescue trains from Parbatipur and Ishwardi have reached the accident spot to salvage the derailed train.

According to local residents, eyewitnesses, and passengers involved in the accident, repair work was ongoing on the railway line in the Bagbari area. Red flags were placed at the site. The Dhaka-bound Nilshagor Express train, filled with homebound Eid passengers, departed from Santahar Junction heading towards Akkelpur Railway Station. It was here, two kilometers north of Santahar Junction, that nine compartments derailed in Bagbari. During this time, passengers on the train's roof fell off and were injured, along with many inside the compartments.

Upon receiving the news, four units from the fire service arrived and rescued 48 injured passengers. After the accident, train passengers heading home for Eid faced severe inconvenience. They started their journeys towards their destinations using different vehicles.

Today, by 4pm, it was observed at the accident site that nine compartments of the train were derailed. Several compartments had their wheels off the track and onto stones, with some compartments appearing crooked. The railway line had come apart.

Saiful Islam from Bagbari village said, “I was working outside my house around noon when this incident happened. People on the train's roof suffered injuries, with some having broken hands and others with cut heads.”

Samad, another resident of Bagbari, mentioned that repair works were underway on the railway line. Since morning, trains had been stopping here, slowing down to cross hazardous areas. Nilshagor Express tried to cross this danger zone marked by a red flag and caused this accident.

Khadija Khatun, the station master at Santahar station, said that the railway line had been defective from before. Around 2:30 PM, the train met with an accident near Santahar platform, causing nine compartments to derail. For now, train movement on this route is suspended. Two relief trains have arrived.

Ahmed Hossain Masum, the chief engineer of the western region of the railway, mentioned that a four-member committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the incident. After receiving the investigation report, the responsible party will be determined. Necessary repairs will be undertaken promptly to restore the railway line. The work is set to start tonight.

Meanwhile, the railway ministry's public relations department said that the train left Dhaka for Chilahati at 6:45 AM on Wednesday. It derailed near Bagbari area in Adamdighi, Bogura, after bypassing a banner signal while heading towards Tilakpur Station past Santahar Station, injuring 66 individuals.

Of them, 20 are receiving treatment at Naogaon Sadar Hospital, 40 have been released after primary treatment, and 6 have been discharged after first aid at Adamdighi Upazila Health Complex, Bogura.

Due to the derailment of nine compartments of Nilshagor Express at Santahar, five Eid-bound trains have been halted at three stations. The railway authority stated that the derailed train is expected to be recovered by 2 AM.

Consequently, several pairs of trains from the northern and southern regions may also be delayed.

Following the incident, rail communication between the northern Bengal districts—Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, and Joypurhat—and Dhaka has been suspended.

Shafiqur Rahman, the division's rail controller in the Pakshi section of the western railway zone, stated that since the incident until 7 PM, three trains have been stalled that were bound for Eid journeys.

Among them, the Banglabandha Express from Panchagarh to Rajshahi is stuck at Akkelpur in Joypurhat, the Rupsha Express from Khulna to Chilahati is at Raninagar in Natore, the Rocket Mail from Khulna to Parbatipur is in Natore, the Ekota Express from Dhaka to Panchagarh is at Abdulpur Station in Natore, and the Barendra Express from Rajshahi to Chilahati is stuck at Abdulpur Station.

Nazib Kaiser, the divisional engineer of the Pakshi section of the western railway zone, said that it could take until 2 AM for the derailed train to be rescued. As a result, there could be further delays for several pairs of trains. However, efforts are underway to quickly restore railway operations.