Dhaka - Officials in Bangladesh's Kishoreganj district reported that a tragic incident occurred on Monday, resulting in the loss of at least 20 lives and leaving several others injured.

The incident unfolded when a freight train, bound for Chattogram, collided with the rear carriages of the Dhaka-bound Egarosindur Godhuli Express around 3:30 pm local time in the Bhairab area of Kishoreganj, situated approximately 60 kilometers from the capital city, Dhaka, as detailed by Sirajul Islam, the duty officer at Bhairab Railway Police Station, when speaking to the media.

An official from the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion informed reporters that 20 fatalities have been confirmed, and they are providing full support to ongoing rescue efforts.

At the scene, fire service officials reported that three passenger carriages had overturned, raising concerns that many passengers might be trapped beneath the damaged wagons. Fortunately, around 100 passengers were successfully rescued with injuries and promptly transported to various healthcare facilities. A fire service official at the scene expressed the expectation of discovering more casualties and injured passengers during the ongoing rescue operations.

To aid in the rescue efforts, a specialized rescue train equipped with cranes has been dispatched to the accident site. Bangladesh's Fire Service and Civil Defence media chief, Shahjahan Sikder, revealed that more than a dozen units of the fire service are actively engaged in these rescue operations.

According to Anowar Hossain, the superintendent of Dhaka Railway Police, an initial report indicated that the freight train collided with the Egaro Sindur from the rear, impacting two of the carriages.