Illegal Level Crossing: One killed as train hits 3-wheeler

A man was killed and six more were injured as a train and a motorised three-wheeler collided at an illegal level crossing in Pabna's Sujanagar upazila yesterday.

The dead is Dabir Uddin Khan, 60, of Tatiband village in the upazila, said police.

According to Mohammad Bodruddoza, officer-in-charge of Sujanagar Police Station, Dabir and some other people were standing beside the rail line while the collision took place.

Hitting the Rajshahi-bound train, the brick-laden motorised three-wheeler, locally known as Nosiman, skidded off the rail track and hit the people standing there.

Being hit by the Nosiman, Dabir died on the spot, the police official said.

Of the six injured, four men -- Alom Hossain, 50, Asif Iqbal, 22, Aminul Islam, 45, and Sajahan Ali, 70 -- were in critical condition.

All of them were admitted to Pabna General Hospital and undergoing treatment, he added.

Contacted, Nasir Uddin, divisional transportation officer (DTO) of Pakshey, said the railway authorities would not take responsibilities for the accident.

"The villagers make illegal level crossings as per their choices. As a result, no gatemen are deployed there."

Nobody has the right to use rail line for their own purpose but the vehicles were using the illegal level crossing, he said, adding, "That caused the accident."

No investigation would be conducted for the accident, he said.

Bangladesh Railway, however, filed a case against the drivers of two Nosimans that were illegally crossing the rail line at the moment of the accident.