Train services on one of the two main railway lines connecting Chattogram with the rest of Bangladesh were disrupted on Sunday morning after a passenger train collided with a sand-laden truck at an unauthorized level crossing in Mirsarai.
The accident occurred around 8:55am in the Chinki Astana area when the Sylhet-bound intercity Paharika Express struck the truck while crossing the tracks, railway officials confirmed.
According to Bangladesh Railway’s Chattogram division, the truck entered the railway line through an unauthorized crossing without a gatekeeper or barrier. The impact of the collision pushed the vehicle onto the opposite track, further disrupting rail operations.
“There was no gatekeeper or barrier at the crossing. After the collision, the truck was pushed onto the down line,” said Farhan Mahmud, Divisional Transport Officer of Bangladesh Railway’s Chattogram division.
He added that the up line has been reopened, but train movement on the down line remains suspended until clearance operations are completed.
The Paharika Express remained stranded for nearly two hours before resuming its journey toward Sylhet at 10:44am after the track was cleared.
Railway authorities are currently working to remove the damaged truck and restore normal train operations on the affected route.
