In a bizarre railroad accident, five people were killed and some 20 injured in Joypurhat yesterday evening, falling off an oil train they were travelling on illegally.

About 30 people were sitting on couplers of the 12-wagon train from Khulna bound for Parbatipur.

A coupler keeps two train carriages together. Poor people often travel on train roofs, footboards and couplers, an illegal practice that poses serious risks of accidents.

Around 5:00pm, at least three tankers from the rear got delinked from the train near Shimultoli village, about 5km south of Panchbibi station.

Leaving behind those wagons, the engine kept rolling forward, said Sumon Chowdhury, local correspondent of daily Bhorer Kagoj, who rushed to the spot hearing about the accident. Joypurhat fire service official Hafizar Rahman quoted eyewitnesses and locals as saying that after the engine along with other oil tankers went about 100 yards ahead, the guard, who was in one of the separated wagons, asked the driver over his mobile phone to stop the train.

The driver slammed on the brakes.

The separated wagons, still in motion, hit the main train from behind. On impact, the illegal passengers fell down.

The Daily Star could not contact the driver or the guard but Hafizar said he learnt about the accident from eyewitnesses and locals who had talked to the guard.

As the firefighters reached the spot from Joypurhat town within half an hour of the accident, they found the train leaving for Dinajpur, he added.

The victims died either just falling down or being crushed under the wheels of the train, which started to move ahead being pushed by the

delinked tankers, he added.

Joypurhat Superintendent of Police Abu Kalam Siddique said the train, reunited with the separated tankers, left quickly to avert backlash from angry mobs.

Police and witnesses told our Dinajpur correspondent that one of the victims died on the spot, and he was yet to be identified. Eight of the injured either lost legs or hands.

Three people died after they were taken to Joypurhat Modern Hospital. They were identified as Azhar Ali, a night guard of Joypurhat Collectorate School; Sadique Islam of Puranpoil village under Joypurhat Sadar upazila and Jewel Hossain of Khanjanpur under Joypurhat Municipality.

Another victim, Hridoy, died at a hospital in Bogra.

Two probe committees were formed after the incident - one led by Shah Alam Talukder, chief operating officer of West Zone of Bangladesh Railway, and another headed by Khorshed Alam, ADC (general) of Joypurhat.