3 people, including cop, killed in three-way collision in Chattogram

At least three people, including a policeman, were killed in a three-way collision involving a bus, a CNG-run auto rickshaw and a train in Chattogram city yesterday.

According to the police, the accident occurred in the Jhautala area under the ​​Khulshi police station around 10am, when a bus and a CNG auto rickshaw got on the rail track ignoring the signal at a rail crossing which had no barricade.

The deceased were identified as Md Monir Hossain, 40, a constable of Chattogram Metropolitan Police Traffic North Division, Syed Bahauddin Ahmed, 30, an engineer, and Satraj Shaheen, 19.

Abul Hossain (65), Jamir Hossain (48), Shahidul Islam (40), Joynal (26), Zobaida (20), Shamima (11), Mohammad (10) and Adnan (7) were injured in the collision.

A witness named Jasim Uddin said when the bus and the CNG auto rickshaw were approaching the railway track, Constable Monir signaled them to stop as a train was going from Najirhat to Chattogram railway station. The train hit both the bus and the autorickshaw which disobeyed the signal. The drivers of both the vehicles were killed on the spot.

The Bangladesh Railway and the Railway Police have formed two separate investigation committees consisting of three members each.

The Railway Police's committee is headed by Additional Superintendent of Railway Police Mohammad Abdul Gafur and includes an assistant superintendent of Railway Police and officer-in-charge of Chattogram Railway Police Station, said Chattogram Railway Superintendent of Police Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury.

General Manager (Eastern Zone) of Bangladesh Railway Md Jahangir Hossain told TBS that a three-member committee was formed on behalf of the railways in the wake of the train accident in Jhautala. The committee has been asked to submit a report in the shortest possible time.

"If there is any evidence of involvement of the gateman or railway personnel in this incident, disciplinary action will be taken against him," he said.