Families conduct desperate search for loved ones after Benapole Express fire

Abu Talha, a mechanical engineering student of Bangladesh Army University of Science and Technology (BAUST) of Nilphamari’s Syedpur, was travelling to Dhaka from Faridpur by Benapole Express on Friday.

He was planning to reach Syedpur from Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station by Panchagarh Express train.

During his journey to Dhaka from Faridpur, he spoke to his father at 7 pm on Friday. “Dad, I’ll phone you once I get to Dhaka,” he had said.

His father, Abdul Haque, is a pharmaceutical representative from Faridpur.

After passage of some time, Haque saw a news report of arson attack on Benapole Express on television and called Talha, but there was no answer. He and his wife hired a car and immediately rushed to Dhaka.

Upon reaching Kamalapur Railway Station, he heard the bodies of the dead were transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. They left for the hospital immediately, but weren’t able to see the bodies that night, reports bdnews24.com.

On Saturday morning, Haque was shown the bodies of the four victims kept at the Emergency Department morgue.

The bodies were reduced to cinders, he said. It was impossible to identify them.

Talha is the second of Haque’s three children.

At least three people remain missing since the blaze on the Benapole Express.

A woman named Tanima was wandering the area looking for her sister Elina Yamin on Friday night. She said Elina was accompanied by her five-month-old child. The family hails from Magura.

The speakers at Golapbagh mosque announced that three-year-old Abdullah was missing and his father, Md Badshah, was looking for him. The mosque urged anyone with news of the boy to bring him back to his family.

Asif Mohammad Khan was burnt in the fire. His wife Natasha is missing as well. Abu Siddique Khan, Asif’s father, said that Asif was able to escape, but they have not heard news of Natasha.

“Asif was unable to open the door when the fire started, but he stuck his head out the window,” Abu Siddique said. “People were able to pull him out of the train, but his wife Natasha couldn’t get out. We believe Natasha remained on the train.”

“We haven’t found her.”

Abu Siddique said the family lives in Gendaria’s Narinda. Asif and Natasha had gone to visit family in Faridpur’s Bhanga and were on their way back when they were caught in the blaze.