Probe report submitted on Cumilla train-bus collision that killed 12

A report has been submitted on the March 21 train-bus collision in Cumilla that killed 12 passengers and injured at least 24 others.
 
The accident took place at Paduar Bazar level crossing in the early hours of Eid-ul-Fitr, when a moving train collided with a passenger bus.

The investigation committee, formed by the district administration, submitted its findings to the Deputy Commissioner on Sunday afternoon (March 29).

The report identified negligence by several officials as the main cause of the crash, including four gatemen at Paduar Bazar crossing, two gatemen at Bijoypur crossing, the station master and locomotive master of Lalmayi railway station, officials overseeing road construction, and the bus driver.

Committee chief and Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Zafar Sadik Chowdhury said the investigation found at least six major lapses and highlighted failures by individuals and authorities. The committee made eight recommendations.

The probe included representatives from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, highway police, fire service, and railway authorities.

Following the accident, police and the Rapid Action Battalion arrested three gatemen based on a case filed by a bus passenger.

Authorities are expected to take further action based on the findings as safety concerns at level crossings grow.