Thanks to the intervention of the locals since the Simanta Express train headed towards Khulna narrowly avoided an accident last night in the Domar upazila of Nilphamari.
According to residents, unknown individuals were seen unscrewing the fishplates on the Chilahati-Parbotipur rail tracks in Bagdogra Prodhan para village on Wednesday at approximately 9:45 p.m.
Fishplates are thin metal pieces that are used to join two rail sections together.
Aminul Islam Rimun, the chairman of the Boragari Union Parishad, said that when the villagers heard the metallic sound, they hurried to the scene and watched some men unscrewing the clips in the dark.
After chasing the criminals out of the area, they found a sack on the spot that contained unscrewed fishplates.
According to locals, fishplates covering half a kilometer of the rail tracks were removed, and 32 fishplates were found inside the sack.
The locals chased the criminals away and in the distance saw the approaching Simanta Express.
According to the UP chairman, they stopped the train by lighting lamps, torches, and waving cloths in the air.
The train`s guard, Hafizur Rahman, stated he stopped the vehicle after observing the crowd making different gestures.
He remarked, "The train could have faced a fatal accident if not for the vigilance of the locals," and he notified the appropriate authorities, who dispatched mechanics to fix the rail track.
After an hour and a half, the rail movement on the track was restored.
Due to bad weather, the train left Chilahati station two and a half hours later than planned, although it was supposed to pass the location earlier, according to station master Ruhul Amin.
"We are investigating to ascertain whether it was a subversive activity or an incident of theft," said Farhat Ahmed, superintendent of railway police in the western zone at Saidpur.
"We will file a report based on the investigation findings," he added.
On early Wednesday, one man died and several were injured in a train derailment in Gazipur after unidentified saboteurs removed a 20-foot section of rail near Bhawalgarh station north of the Joydebpur junction.
