At least 50 people were injured as six compartments and the engine of a train derailed in Kulaura upazila early Thursday after blockaders removed fishplates from the rail tracks. Sources at Kulaura Railway Station said the engine and six compartments of the Chittagong-bound train ‘Udayan Express’ from Sylhet veered off the tracks near Tilagaon Railway Station around 3:10am after pickets removed the fishplates from 20-30 feet stretch of the tracks, leaving 50 passengers injured. On information, five firefighting units from Kulaura rushed in and rescued passengers from the derailed train. Of the injured, 20-30 were taken to Kulaura Health Complex and sadar hospital. The derailment also halted train communications of Dhaka and Chittagong with Sylhet. A relief train from Akhaura started to go to the spot to salvage the derailed compartments. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia called the countrywide indefinite blockade from Tuesday as the government did not allow her party and allies to hold protest rallies in the capital.– Moulvibazar, Jan 8 (UNB)
