News Desk :
Three students have died after being run over by a train in Cumilla’s Sadar South Upazila.
The accident occurred at the Bijoypur Level Crossing on the Dhaka-Chattogram rail line around 12pm on Wednesday, said Md Jashim Uddin Khandker, chief of Laksam Railway Police Station.
The dead have been identified as Rima Akhtar Lima, Tasfia Akhtar, and Mim Akhtar, all aged 11. The girls were fifth grade students of Bijoypur Government Primary School, reports bdnews24.com.
Agitated locals blocked the Cumilla-Noakhali Highway following the accident, said Jashim. Later, the district police and administration officials brought the situation under control after speaking with the locals.
The accident happened because two trains were passing by parallelly at the same time, said witness Haji Md Selim. After spotting an incoming train, the children crossed over to the other track, only to be hit by another train coming from the opposite direction.
A sense of sadness has descended upon all the teachers and students, said Sadekur Rahman, chief instructor at the primary school. The incident has left everyone speechless. Sadekur expressed his displeasure over the absence of a railway overpass despite repeated demands. All students regularly use the pathway to arrive at school, he said.
Cumilla Deputy Commissioner Md Kamrul Hasan, SP Faruk Ahmed and administration officials visited the spot, Jashim said.
Kamrul provided Tk 25,000 to families of each of the victims on behalf of the district administration.
A three-member panel headed by an additional deputy commissioner was formed to investigate the incident, Kamrul said.
