Could an overpass have saved three young lives?

We are shocked at the death of three school children in Cumilla who were hit by a train on their way to school on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the little girls were on the wrong track at the wrong time. The disaster struck before the eyes of the people around, who rushed to the spot to rescue them, but it was already too late. The girls—Mim Akhtar, Rima Akhtar, and Tasfia Akhtar Ayesa, around 12 years of age—lived in Durgapur Manikka Pukurpar area near the Bijoypur market.

According to eye witnesses, the girls were on their way to school—a 10-minute walk from their home—but after they saw a train coming towards them, they moved to the other track without looking behind, not knowing that another train was approaching at high speed. Apparently, the girls were panic-stricken and could not move fast to safety.

It's no doubt a heart-rending incident, where three young lives were nipped in the bud—a tragedy of such a proportion is not something one can easily accept or come to terms with. The grieving family members will perhaps search for the answer as to why such an agony befell them so early in life. 

The important point that emerged from our report is that the locals have been asking for an overpass in the level crossing area for a long time, but no action has been taken so far in this regard. As a result, after the accident, angry people blocked the Cumilla-Noakhali highway for hours and also set fire to the railway tracks to express their indignation. And as usual, the railway department could not say anything concrete regarding the overpass. We share the frustration of the local people, who believe an overpass there could have saved the girls' lives.

The frequency of accidents on the rail tracks is rising alarmingly in Bangladesh, as level crossings remain mostly unprotected or in dilapidated conditions. The tracks are in poor condition, with many small parts stolen. Experts also say that accidents occur because of the lack of safety awareness among people who live near railway tracks. According to the Accident Research Institute of Buet, at least 105 people were killed in 99 train-related accidents last year, of whom 82 were pedestrians. The researchers believe the actual number could be higher as many incidents go unreported.  We hope the railway department will take the tragic deaths of the three little girls in Cumilla into cognisance, and do whatever necessary to construct overpasses at vulnerable spots, and at the same time deploy trained personnel to manage the level crossings.