Benapole Express fire: Guard pulled train chain to stop it and saved passengers

As the Benapole Express train was set on fire, a guard on board quickly pulled the emergency break chain and stopped the burning train – giving passengers inside to escape the flames.

 "We were nearing Dhaka station. Suddenly there was a hue and cry, and people started shouting about a fire on the train" said Constable Mohammad Ali of Railway Police's Rajbari division, who was serving as a  guard on board the Benapole Express on Friday (5 January).

"There was smoke coming into the train compartments and people were panicking. I told passengers to get off the train as there was a fire. Then it occurred to me that I must pull the chain and stop the chain," he added.

Mohammad Ali said the first chain the pulled was not working.

"Then I went to the other side of the compartment through the panicked crowd and pulled the chain there. Then the train stopped," said the train guard.

By this time, the fire had already spread on the train.

He said he had to get off the train through a window as people were rushing to the door.

At least four passengers were killed after the Benapole Express train was set on fire in the Gopibagh area of Sayedabad on Friday night.

The train was en route to Dhaka, carrying passengers from Benapole. Shortly before reaching Kamalapur railway station, the fire broke out in front of the Gopibagh kitchen market around 9pm.

A young man died while trying to evacuate the passengers of the fire-hit train, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Wari Division Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Iqbal Hossain.

"The train might have been set on fire right after it crossed Saydabad station," said Mohammad Iqbal Hossain.

"We initially suspected a fire from households due to the congested area. However, we later discovered that the fire originated from a train. We suspect there may be more individuals inside the train. Now, we will enter and conduct a search and rescue operation," he added.

Eight firefighting units worked to bring the fire under control at 10:22pm, Talha Bin Zasim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense, told The Business Standard.

The fire incident on the Benapole Express train was a planned act of sabotage, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner Mahid Uddin.

"Three coaches were more or less damaged. We can't say for sure now what caused it. It is clear that it was a planned sabotage," the police official said while visiting the scene at around 11:30pm on Friday.

"Such violence and arson against common people will not be tolerated. Those involved will be found and brought to justice," he added.

He also said that the fire service has brought the fire under control with the help of railways, DMP, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

"The fire has been brought under control. Our investigative team is working to gather evidence. We are trying to find the source of the fire," Additional Commissioner Mahid Uddin added.

"Saboteurs continue their efforts to cause chaos. Many have been brought under the law. Many have been identified. In any case of vandalism, those involved will be identified," the police official further said.

Earlier, on 19 December, four people including a child were killed after miscreants set fire to Dhaka-bound Mohanganj Expres in the capital's Tejgaon area. 

With the latest casualties, a total of eight people have died in train fires in the country since 28 October.