The two trains were heading in opposite directions on the same track when they collided at 3 a.m. local time. Most passengers were asleep when the crash occurred.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
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Two trains have collided in eastern Bangladesh, leaving at least 15 dead and injuring dozens. Emergency personnel were on the scene to rescue passengers trapped in wreckage.
"So far, 15 bodies have been recovered," district official Hayat Ud Dowlah Khan said, warning that the death toll would likely rise.
"More than 40 injured people have been admitted in hospitals," he said.
"When I came out of the train, I saw dead bodies without heads, without legs, without hands," Mohammad Moslem, 50, who was among the passengers told Reuters. "We were so close to death, but Allah saved us," he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock and sorrow at the injuries and loss of lives, urging officials and the public to provide support for the victims.
People gather near badly damaged coaches Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Both trains on same track
The accident took place at around 3 a.m. local time (9 p.m. UTC) in Brahmanbaria, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of the capital, Dhaka, when a train headed for the capital crashed into another bound for the southern city of Chittagong, crumpling three compartments.
Most passengers were asleep when the crash occurred.
It remained unclear what caused the two trains to run on the same track. Authorities have launched a formal investigation.
"One of the trains might have broken the signal, leading to the tragedy," Shayamal Kanti Das, a police official, told reporters.
Firefighters, police, border guards and army officials were all at the scene to assist with the rescue operation.
Train accidents are a frequent occurrence in Bangladesh. Unsupervised railway crossings, poor signaling and poor track conditions have been some of the causes of previous accidents.
sri, jcg/rt (AP, Reuters)
Bangladesh's worst building disasters
Devastating fires and building collapses are fairly common in Bangladesh, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced. Here are some of the worst tragedies in the impoverished country.
Image: Reuters/M. Ponir Hossain
Rana Plaza disaster, 2013
The collapse of the nine-story Rana Plaza garment factory in Dhaka on April 24, 2013, is one of the world's worst industrial accidents. More than 1,100 people were killed and another 2,000 were injured in the tragedy.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Abdullah
After the collapse
The disaster shed light on the poor safety conditions in Bangladeshi factories, many of which produce clothing for Western brands. Dozens of people, including Rana Plaza's owner, are standing trial for negligence. Despite some reforms to improve safety in the billion-dollar industry, Bangladeshi textile workers remain some of the lowest paid in the world.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Nimtoli explosion, 2010
Bangladesh's deadliest industrial blaze to date tore through one of Dhaka's most densely populated areas on June 3, 2010, killing 117 people. A number of multi-story apartment buildings and shops in the Nimtoli district went up in flames after an electrical transformer exploded.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/epa/A. Abdullah
Ashulia garment factory fire, 2012
At least 112 workers were killed in a fire at the nine-story Tazreen Fashion factory in the outskirts of Dhaka on November 24, 2012. An investigation later found it was caused by arson and that managers at the Ashulia district plant had locked the gates to prevent victims from getting out. Above, a soldier inspects a room of charred sewing machines.
Image: Reuters
Chawkbazar blaze, 2019
At least 70 people were killed in a fire that engulfed apartment blocks in a historic Dhaka shopping district on February 20, 2019. The blaze began in a property in Chawkbazar where chemicals for household products were being stored illegally, before quickly spreading to several other buildings. It took almost 12 hours for firefighters to put out the flames.
Image: picture-alliance/Xinhua/S. Reza
Tongi factory fire, 2016
A fire triggered by a boiler explosion at a cigarette packaging factory north of Dhaka on September 10 killed some 31 people. Chemicals stored on the ground floor of the Tongi warehouse are thought to have helped the blaze spread quickly.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com
Gazipur factory collapse, 2017
A boiler explosion was also behind the collapse of garment factory in Gazipur, a city north of the capital, on July 4, 2017. Thirteen people were killed. Fortunately, thousands of workers were away for the Eid holidays.
