3 die after being hit by trains in 2 dists

Three people died after being hit by trains in Jashore and Joypurhat yesterday.

In Jashore, two people died in the early hours when a train collided with a truck at the Churamonkati level crossing in Chaugachha upazila.

The deceased are truck driver Parvez Alam, 53, and his assistant Nazmul, 38, said Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Jashore Railway Police Station.

The Chaugachha-bound truck got onto the rail tracks by mistake due to limited visibility caused by heavy fog around 5:30am, said witnesses.

They also said the gateman in charge of the Churamonkati level crossing was asleep, so the gates weren't lowered at the time of the incident.

The accused gateman, Md Sazal, however, blamed the truck driver for not paying heed to his signal.

The bodies were sent to Jashore General Hospital for autopsy, the OC said, adding that the incident was now under investigation.

In Joypurhat, a man died after a train hit him in Akkelpur upazila. Nitai Agarwala, 52, of Puratan Bazar, was resting on the tracks near the Akkelpur Railway Station and was unable to move to safety in time before the train hit him, said Moktar Hossain, officer-in-charge of the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Santahar station.

He died on the spot. The police handed his body over to his family members.

[Our correspondents from Benapole and Dinajpur contributed to this report.]