Three Killed as Train Plows Through Vehicles on Kalurghat Bridge
A devastating collision between the Dhaka-bound Parjatak Express train and multiple vehicles on the Kalurghat Bridge in Chattogram Thursday night (5 June) has left at least three people dead and several others critically injured, according to police and railway officials. The accident occurred around 10:30pm in the Boalkhali section of the bridge, when the train, which departed Cox’s Bazar at 7:45pm, struck a CNG-run autorickshaw, two motorcycles, a microbus, a pickup van, and an ice cream van. Chandagaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Aftab Uddin confirmed the deaths, identifying one victim as Md Tushar, 25, the autorickshaw driver from East Gomdandi, Boalkhali.
Among the deceased was a two-year-old child, with one other victim yet to be identified. Local witnesses stated that the railway signal was activated as the train entered Kalurghat Bridge from the Boalkhali side, heading toward Chittagong city. However, multiple small vehicles—including auto-rickshaws and motorcycles—ignored the warning and proceeded onto the bridge from the opposite direction. The oncoming vehicles then collided with the speeding train. Railway officials a vehicle breakdown on the opposite side of the bridge caused several vehicles to stop, contributing to the collision. Fire Service and Red Crescent teams are conducting ongoing rescue operations.
Boalkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Rahmat Ullah reported that a CNG autorickshaw, a pickup van, and a motorcycle have been recovered, but several vehicles remain trapped under the train’s locomotive. All injured individuals were rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH). Conflicting reports on casualties have emerged. The Fire Service’s Chittagong control room reported one death and five injuries by 12:55am, while Deputy Assistant Director Abdul Mannan, on-site, noted one death and two injuries at 1:00am.
