Three cops killed as train hits police van in Sitakunda
The accident occurred due to the absence of a gateman at the railway crossing, police say
Three policemen were killed when a Chattogram-bound inter-city train hit a police van in Sitakunda upazila of the district on Sunday.
The accident took place at the Salimpur-Fakirhat railway crossing of the upazila. Deceased Constables Mizan, Iskandar, and Hossain worked at Sitakunda police station.
"Injured Sub Inspector Sujan Sharma, constable Sameer Das, and local UP member Shahadat Hossain are under treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital," Tofail Ahmed, Officer-in-Charge at Sitakunda police station, said.
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The tragic accident occurred due to the absence of a gateman at the railway crossing, as reported by both injured individuals and police officers. The presence of a gateman could have prevented this unfortunate incident.
Additional Superintendent Sudipta Sarkar of Chattogram District Police explained that a Sitakunda Police team, led by SI Sujan, was pursuing a suspect with the assistance of a local UP member. A Dhaka-bound train en route to Chattogram hit the vehicle that got stuck on the track, resulting in fatalities.
Shahadat Hossain, a member of Sitakunda's Salimpur UP, currently undergoing treatment at CMCH, recounted that the train struck their vehicle while crossing the level crossing amid rain.
Mahmuda Begum, the grandmother of the deceased cop Mohammad Hossain, expressed her disbelief and grief over the tragic loss, mentioning that they were in the process of finding a bride for Mohammad Hossain.
Railway Police Superintendent Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury confirmed the absence of a gateman at the level crossing during the accident.
Railway forms probe body
Railway East Zone has formed a three-member probe committee following the accident that killed three policemen in Sitakunda area and asked it to report within the next three days.
The Railway East Zone General Manager, Jahangir Alam, mentioned that the level crossing had a gateman, but he was absent during the accident.
Locals revealed that the gateman, Dipu, had cited three years' unpaid wages for his irregular attendance at the level crossing.
Sitakunda Police Station's OC, Tofail Ahmed, stated that Dipu was unavailable after the accident.
In a similar incident in 2022, at least 13 individuals, including students, lost their lives due to the lack of a gateman at a railway crossing in Mirsarai Upazila, Chattogram.
