Benapole Express fire: Railway forms seven-member probe committee

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has formed a seven-member committee to investigate the incident of the killing of at least four people as unidentified miscreants set fire to a Benapole Express train in the capital's Gopibag area on Friday night.

The committee has been formed following the directive from the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) to identify the reason behind the incident and fix responsibility, reports UNB.

The committee is headed by Md. Showmik Shawon Kabir, divisional signal and telecommunication engineer of the BR, has been asked to submit a report within three working day,said Siraj Ud-Dowla khan, senior information officer of the BR ministry. 

Shahjahan Sikder, deputy assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Cell, said they recovered four bodies from the gutted coaches of the train.

The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately, he said.

Arsonists torched the four coaches of the Benapole Express train at 9:05pm.

On information, eight firefighting units rushed to the spot after 9:25pm and brought the blaze under control around 10:20pm, he added.

Three coaches of the Dhaka-bound train were completely burnt.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock and sorrow at the loss of lives in a fire that broke out in four bogies of Benapole Express train in the capital's Gopibagh area tonight.

The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to investigate whether the fire incident was sabotage.

She prayed for the salvation of the departed souls and directed to take immediate steps for the treatment of the injured.