Nine killed after train hits wedding party minibus in Bangladesh

At least nine people were killed when a speeding trainhit a minibus carrying a wedding party at a railway level crossing inwestern Bangladesh on Monday evening, police said. Officer Mosharraf Hossain said eight of the passengers, including thenewly married bride and groom, died immediately when the Dhaka-boundPadma Express train ploughed into the minibus at the Panchacroshilevel crossing in Pabna district. The scene is located nearly 130 kilometres west of the capital Dhaka.One passenger died at a local hospital, Hossain added.The train hit the minibus as soon as it entered the unmanned levelcrossing and dragged it for 200 metres along the track, railwayofficial Golam Mustafa said. Local residents blocked the track after the accident in protest,prompting the authorities to suspend railway communications on theroute for hours, railway official Golam Mustafa said.The minibus was taking the wedding party back to Sirajganj districtfrom Ullapara in Pabna district after the marriage ceremony, Mustafaadded. Deaths at level crossings are frequent in Bangladesh as most of themore than 2,500 railroad crossings in the South Asian country areunmanned.