DHAKA: A collision between a railway and a tourist microbus at a level crossing in Mirsharai Upazila in Chattogram district resulted in at least 11 deaths and six injuries among people aged 11 to 24, Police said.

As per to eyewitness statement, some of the victims reportedly  removed the barricade to cross the railroad tracks because the gateman had left it unattended to perform Friday's "jummah namaz."The Chattogram Railway Police's Superintendent of Police, Hasan Chowdhury, said: "Whether the gateman was there or not at the time of the accident is yet unknown. We are looking into the situation." The disaster is being looked into by two committees that were constituted by Bangladesh Railway authority.

The five-member committee is led by Divisional Transport Officer of Bangladesh Railway's Eastern Zone, Ansar Ali, while a four-member panel was formed with Additional Chief Engineer Arman Hossain at the helm.

Nazim Uddin, the head of the Chattogram Railway Police said, there were two temporary gatemen at the level crossing. Saddam Hussain, one of them, was working when the incident occurred, thus the police have taken him into custody to question.

Jahangir Alam, General Manager of Bangladesh Railway's Eastern Zone, visited the scene of the accident and stated: "I spoke with the gateman and he claimed that he was present at the time of the accident." The railway authorities said that Saddam, the gateman, had lowered the barricade at the level crossing but that the microbus breached it.

On Friday at around 1:30 pm, a Chattogram-bound "Mahanagar Provati" train from Dhaka struck a tourist microbus at Khoiyachhora level crossing, on the outskirts of Chittagong, and dragged it for nearly one mile near Bara Takia station, killing 11.Six persons are undergoing treatment and are in a critical condition, as per reports.

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