4 killed falling off the roof of a running train

Four people, including two RMG workers, travelling on the roof of a train were killed after being hit by the girder of a footbridge in Raninagar upazila of Naogaon in the early hours of yesterday.

Three others were injured in the incident, police said.

The deceased were identified as Jahangir Alam, 22, Munir Hossain, 22, Aminul Islam Bulbul, 29, and Apel Mahmud, 26.

The police said two of the four dead were ready-made garment workers. The injured admitted at Naogaon General Hospital, they said.

The Drutajan Express, an intercity train of Dhaka-Dinajpur route, left Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital Tuesday evening. Witnesses and passengers said around 12 people were travelling on the roof for a free ride. Three of them got down at different stations, they added.

Akbar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Santahar Government Railway Police, said the accident occurred when the train was passing Raninagar Railway Station around 3:25am.

All four of the deceased fell off the train and died on the spot, he added.

On information, police recovered the bodies around 8:30am. The injured were badly hurt in their heads, said the OC.

The bodies were handed over to their family members after autopsies.

Such incidents are often reported at Raninagar of Naogaon and Akkelpur of Joypurhat because of low girders of foot bridges connecting the platforms.

Rezaul Karim, stationmaster of Raninagar Railway Station, filed an unnatural death case with Santahar police.

The railway authorities cannot prevent such risky travels because of shortage of staff, he said.