Villagers mourn victims of deadly Mirsharai train-microbus collision

Two tragedies played out 11 years apart, but they bear some painful resemblance. In July 2011, 43 students of Abu Torab Government Primary School in Chattogram’s Mirsharai died in one of the worst road accidents in Bangladesh.

On Friday, a similar tragedy struck another school in nearby Hathazari Upazila. Seven of the 11 people who died in a train-microbus collision near Khoiychhara waterfall in Mirsharai were current or former students of KS Noju Mia High School in Hathazari.

Thousands joined funeral prayers on Saturday for the young residents of Khandakia village, reports bdnews24.com.

Mosab Ahmed Hisham, Samirul Islam Hasan and Iqbal Hossain Maruf were candidates for Secondary School Certificate, said Muhammad Shafiul Alam, headmaster of the school. “They were brilliant students,” he said.

Microbus driver Golam Mostafa Niru, R&G Coaching Centre teachers Mostafa Masud Rakib, Ridwanul Chowdhury and Sazzad Hossain were former students of the school. Most of the teachers of the coaching centre were undergraduate students of local colleges.

Sixteen teachers and students of the private coaching centre were returning home after a picnic at Khoiyachhara waterfall. Chattogram-bound Mahanagar Prabhati hit their microbus after it got on the tracks.

Railway authorities and police are investigating how the vehicles got on the tracks although a gateman was supposed to be on duty and the level crossing has boom barriers.

As the bodies arrived in the village, families, relatives, neighbours and other mourners thronged the high school and Khandakia Somdia Government Primary School. The funeral prayers for six of the victims were held at the primary school’s grounds.

The high school declared three days of mourning, during which academic activities will remain suspended and black flags will be hoisted.

“We heard of so many deaths in a single area in 2011 when the students of Abu Torab School in Mirsharai died. Now it has happened to the students of our school,” said Assistant Headmaster Sadhan Chandra Nath.

“It’s difficult for us to accept.”

Abdullah Arif Risad, a teacher at the coaching centre, said he decided not to go to the waterfall, a change of mind at the last minute that saved his life.

“Four of those who launched the coaching centre have died in the accident,” a tearful Risad said. “We were together the day before yesterday. I was supposed to go to the picnic, but I changed my mind yesterday morning. That’s why I am still alive. Now I have nothing to do but to pray for them.”