“Witnessing all this…people who were mutilated in front of me. There was nothing I could do as a doctor”
Photo: Eashfinul Haque Munim
“It’s like what happens to a paper when you tear it into a thousand pieces. That’s what happened to the two coaches behind us when the freight train hit,” recounted Eashfinul Haque Munim, doctor at the Jahirul Islam Medical College in Kishoreganj.
He was speaking about the Egarosindhur Express colliding with a freight train at Bhairab station on Monday (23 October) afternoon, which left 17 dead so far.
Photo: Eashfinul Haque Munim
He was in the “Kha” bogey, which was just ahead of the two bogeys which were hit by the freight train.
“Our train arrived 30 minutes late. It had just started the journey and we hadn’t even picked up speed. Suddenly, the train began to decelerate. It was like it was being tugged by a chain, being forced to halt,” he said.
That’s when Munim felt the train shake. It was barely a breeze. And then a loud sound followed.17 killed as intercity, freight trains collide in Bhairab; rescue operation ongoing
“We got off and saw that two coaches had fallen. Witnessing all this…people who were mutilated in front of me. There was nothing I could do as a doctor. The people couldn’t even be taken out.”
By the time Munim reached the spot, four people had already died.
Photo: Eashfinul Haque Munim
“It all happened in 10 seconds. That’s what it felt like. I waited for an hour. Once the fire brigade came, I left.”
He said those who needed primary treatment were sent to the hospital.
“I was going home to Dhaka for my holidays. I never imagined something like this could happen. I’m too traumatised to perhaps even comprehend what we have just gone through,” he concluded.
Eashfinul Haque Munim
