'We saw him burn to death, but could do nothing'
Witnesses and rescuers recount witnessing the deaths and horror of the Benapole Express train fire that claimed the lives of four
"As the train was on fire, we saw someone burning on one of the open windows. As we were trying to rescue him, the window shut down completely. He burned to death right in front of our eyes, and we couldn't do anything to save him."
Shadin, a 21-year-old man, was recounting his experience of witnessing the deaths and horror of the Benapole Express train fire that claimed the lives of four.
The train was en route to Dhaka, carrying passengers from Benapole. Shortly before reaching Kamalapur railway station, the fire broke out in the Gopibagh area of Sayedabad around 9pm.
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Shadin and his friends were near the spot as the train started to burn.
"We even brought a bamboo stick to bring him down but we couldn't"
"After seeing the fire, we reached the spot and rescued some people. It was very hot around the train," he added.
Imran, another 21-year-old man, was among the people trying to rescue the burning man Shadin mentioned.
"We even brought a bamboo stick to bring him down but we couldn't. Even after all our efforts, we couldn't save him," he said.
Syed Murad Hossain was looking for his brother's wife, Elina Yasmin, in a crowded Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery.
"My younger brother's wife was on that train with her five-month-old baby boy. As the train caught fire, she called my brother and said they were in trouble. Her brother [who was also on the train] left the train with her son. I can't find my sister-in-law now," said Murad in a tearful voice.
He said they already looked for her in DMCH's burn unit before coming to the Sheikh Hasina burn institute.
"She lost her father just ten days ago. She went to the village to bury her father and was on her way back to Dhaka with her son, brother and sister-in-law," Murad added.
"All four bodies have been burned beyond recognition"
Elina's family claimed that she was among the four bodies brought to the morgue.
Considering that the bodies burned beyond recognition, police, however, said that it would only be possible to confirm the identity of the deceased after conducting DNA tests.
"All four bodies have been burned beyond recognition. Initially, one has been identified as a man, one as a child, and one as a woman due to having long hair. It is impossible to determine whether the fourth body is male or female," said Sub-Inspector Setafur Rahman of Dhaka Railway police station (Kamalapur).
"After preparing the inquest report last night, the four bodies were kept at the DMCH morgue. DNA samples will be collected today [Saturday], and efforts will be made to identify the bodies after the autopsy," he added.
Abu Siddique Khan, a former banker, said his son Asif Mohammad Khan, 30, was burned in the fire. Even though he found him, the former banker could not find his daughter-in-law, Natasha Jasmine.
"Asif and Natasha went to visit a relative's house in Faridpur. They were returning on the train. As the fire broke out, Asif couldn't escape through the door. He stuck his head out of a window. Although people managed to pull him out, we don't know where his wife is," Abu Siddique said, fearing that Natasha might not have been able to get out in time.
Asif is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital with an 8% burn.
Dr Tarikul Islam, resident surgeon at the Sheikh Hasina burn institute, said eight, including two children aged 6 and 11, are currently undergoing treatment at the institute.
According to him, four of the injured, including the two children and a woman, are suffering from inhalation injuries. Apart from Asif, another man named Nafis Alom has been admitted to the institute with a 5% burn.
Tarikul also said Koushik Biswas, a 32-year-old doctor, became ill due to the smoke and is currently undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina burn unit.
"He was rescued around 11:30pm and brought to the SHNIBPS," he said.
"We have learned that he is a medical officer at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital," said Tarikul.
Another injured named Amit Devnath, 27, has been undergoing treatment in the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said Bacchu Mia, in charge of the hospital's police outpost.
