Dhaka, 22 March (H.S.): At least 12 people were killed and 20 others injured when a passenger train smashed into a bus on the Dhaka-Chittagong route early Sunday morning at Padua Bazar level crossing in Comilla.

The tragic crash, which occurred around 3:00 a.m., halted train services on the busy line for three hours. Among the dead were seven men, three women, and two children. Rescue teams from the army, police, fire service, and Red Crescent rushed to the scene to launch operations.

Comilla Sadar Dakshin thana sub-inspector Saiful Islam, stationed at the EPZ outpost, confirmed the details to Dhaka Tribune and The Daily Star. He said the Maemun Special bus, en route to Chittagong, got caught in the path of the oncoming train at the unmanned crossing.

The bus wedged into the train's engine and was dragged nearly a kilometer to the Jangaliya-Kachua area before the train could stop.

Local residents were the first to respond, drawn by the passengers' screams. Fire service personnel later extracted survivors and rushed the injured to Comilla Medical College Hospital. Officials reported recovering three bodies from the site, with nine more succumbing to their injuries during treatment.

No gatekeeper was present at the crossing during the accident, authorities noted. Bangladesh Railway's Eastern Zone general manager confirmed the formation of two probe committees at divisional and regional levels.

Gatekeepers Mehdi Hasan and Helal Uddin have been suspended pending investigation. No rescue train had reached the site as of the latest reports.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar