Rail connectivity restored in Bogura 22 hours after ‘Nilsagar Express’ derailment

Train services have been restored in Bogura’s Santahar nearly 22 hours after the derailment of a “Nilsagar Express” train in the area.

Santahar Station Master Khadija Khanam said rail communication was restored around noon on Thursday, bdnews24.com reports. 

The train left Dhaka at 6:45am on Wednesday for Nilphamari’s Chilahati, carrying passengers heading home for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

It stopped at Santahar Station around 2pm and then set off for Tilakpur Station.

Shortly afterwards, nine of the 13 coaches derailed in Bogura’s Alamdighi, leaving 66 passengers injured.

Rescue operations began around 7:45pm, with relief trains sent from Ishwardi and Parbatipur.

A railways ministry official said on Wednesday night that the driver ignored banners and messages, in addition to official orders before the crash.

After the accident, direct train connectivity from Dhaka to some northern districts were suspended. They were finally restored 22 hours later.

Passengers of two trains - the Nilsagar Express and the Ekota Express - headed for northern Bangladesh faced difficulties amid the overwhelming crowd at Dhaka's Kamalapur Railway Station on Thursday morning.

The accident is now being investigated.