国际英语新闻：Feature: Tragic trains head-on collision claims lives in Bangladesh

NARSINGDI, Bangladesh, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- "After a big bang, a train slammed on top of another, I was deeply shocked," Palash told Xinhua on Wednesday night.

Palash was a witness of a tragic train head-on collision accident happened in Bangladesh's Narsingdi district, 51 kilometers northeast of capital Dhaka, at around 5 p.m. local time Wednesday.

Officials said that at least 10 people were killed. But private news agency UNB quoted witnesses as saying at least 21 people died in the accident including 19 killed on the spot and two died in hospital.

The news agency said hundreds of other people were injured and the death toll may go up.

"The collision occurred as there was a mistake in giving signal, " an official of the Narsingdi railway station, who asked to be unnamed, told Xinhua.

He said, "The accident occurred at 5 p.m. A train heading for southeast Chittagong district was slowly entering the Narsingdi station when a speedy Dhaka bound train rammed into it."

Five compartments of the Dhaka-bound train were seen slammed on top of the other. At least eight compartments of both trains were twisted and the engines of the trains broken into pieces.

Rescue teams of the police and the fire brigade rushed to the spot soon after the accident occurred and started pulling out bodies and bleeding wounded passengers immediately.

They said many of the injured lost their arms or legs while many screamed for help.

Thousands of onlookers as well as relatives of the victims rushed to the site of the accident. Some of them joined the rescue team trying to get out the injured in whatever means they can.

Special tools were used by rescuers to cut the twisty compartments as some injured passengers were stuck inside.

Wounded people who were rescued from the damaged compartments were being rushed to hospitals.

Ruhul Amin, an official from the Fire Brigade in Narsingdi, told Xinhua that they confirmed 10 people killed in the accident and feared the figure will rise as the rescue operation is underway.

The army have been deployed in the rescue operation of the train disaster in the evening to work together with the Fire Brigade, police, the Red Crescent and local officials.

Bangladesh Railway Director General TA Chowdhury told Xinhua by phone that a 4-member committee was formed to investigate the accident to see whether it is an accident or a sabotage.