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Negligence of 3 led to B'baria train accident

Says railways minister citing probe reports

Staff Correspondent
Negligence of the driver, his assistant and the guard of Tuma Nishita Express was responsible for the train accident in Brahmanbaria, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said yesterday.
"The accident occurred as the train driver, his assistant and guard of Tuma Nishita Express did not operate the train following the signals properly," he said at a press briefing at the capital's Rail Bhaban.
The briefing was organised to inform the media about the findings of the probe committees, formed after the November 12 accident that left 17 passengers dead and many others injured.
For the railway ministry, briefing the media on probe findings is a rare incident.
The minister said the three staffers have been suspended and further punitive actions would be taken after completing the necessary administrative process.
The highest departmental punishment for such a "major offence" is termination from job. The Dhaka-bound Tuma Nishita rammed Chattogram-bound Udayan Express at Mandobagh Railway Station in Kasba early November 12. The railway authorities estimated the loss from the accident to be Tk 30 lakh.
The minister said they earlier announced that 16 people were killed in the accident, but the correct figure would be 15 as the name of a victim was mentioned twice
Two more victims died of their injuries at different hospitals on Saturday and Sunday.
Sujan yesterday said 25 injured were still undergoing treatment at hospitals.
The minister said he received reports from three out of five probe committees and their findings were almost similar.
Asked whether fog or construction materials for a second line caused the accident, the minister said the investigation committees did not find any evidence to support such assertions.
"There is no evidence in the reports that he |driver] dozed off. The speed of the train [Tuma Nishita] was 70km per hour [before it reached near the station], but when it hit the other train, it was running at a speed of around 25km per hour, meaning the driver applied the brakes," he said.
Bangladesh Railway Director General Md Shamsuzzaman said the driver, his assistant and the guard were negligent in their duties.
At one stage, they understood that they had crossed both the outer and home signals, but they didn't apply the "emergency brakes" that could have stopped the train within a few seconds, he told journalists.
Asked whether only administrative actions were enough for causing such an accident and whether the three could be brought to book under the penal code for 'criminal negligence",
the railways minister said laws for road and rail accidents were different
Sujan, also a senior Supreme Court lawyer, said the three were held responsible as they were negligent in discharging their professional duties.
The minister said had they caused the accident deliberately, they could have been tried under the penal code. "But I don't think it [penal code] would be applicable to what has happened here”
Railways Secretary Mofazzel Hossain said nobody expects an accident, but it can happen even after taking necessary precautionary measures.
"We will take action against those who have shown negligence in performing their duties," he said at the press briefing.
The DG said although the railway was facing shortage of train drivers and driver's assistants, the driver of Tuma Nishita had necessary training and experience to operate the train. Besides, he had necessary rest before starting the trip.
He said they have 1,134 train drivers and drive/s assistants against the posts of 1,742.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sujan said the probe committees made several recommendations, including installing a CCTV camera inside the cabin of the train driver to closely monitor the activities of the driver and his assistant.
They also recommended providing regular training to the staffers involved in operating trains and filling the vacant posts.
The committees suggested using more modem devices to maintain communications between railway stations and trains and introducing an "Automatic Hain Stop” system to avoid a head-on collision between two trains.
The minister said such accidents can be avoided if these recommendations are implemented.