Rail link with Rajshahi snapped

Rail communication with Rajshahi came to a halt yesterday after an oil carrying train veered off the railway track in the district’s Charghat upazila.

The train was carrying 30 oil tankers, of which eight went off track at the outer station of Sardaha road at 6pm, said Rajshahi Divisional Railway Manager Mizanur Rahman.

One hour after the accident, railway authorities took the other 22 tankers to Harian station, an oil depot, where the train was scheduled to stop as it was transporting oil from Khulna.

After rescue of the eight tankers, the train would leave for Amnura of Chapainawabganj, another petroleum oil depot.

Rail communication from Rajshahi to the rest of the country other than Chapainawabganj remained snapped since the accident, the railway official said.

He said the rescue train was scheduled to reach the spot at 9pm and they primarily fixed a target to complete the rescue by 12am.

“We could not start the rescue yet due to bad weather. The rescue operation will depend on the rain,” he said.

Abdur Rashid, an assistant executive engineer, was suspended after the incident, and a five-member committee was formed to investigate.