Today in History: Two trains collided in Bangladesh, killing 76
Trains are often over-loaded and over-crowded in Bangladesh, and this was one of the many factors that led to the death of 76 and injury of 500 people 46 years ago.
The two trains collided at a station after a stationmaster threw the wrong switch, sending the wrong train barrelling down the wrong set of tracks.
An express train loaded far beyond capacity, as is common in Bangladesh, left the southern port city of Khulna, heading north.
It was passing through Jessore on 4 June at full speed when the stationmaster threw the wrong switch.
With no other safeguards in place to protect it, the train was sent barrelling down local tracks towards the station.
It ploughed straight into a static train at the station.
The resulting pile-up killed and injured hundreds of people on both trains.
The injuries were however not limited to those on the trains, as people who were standing on the station platform were also harmed by the incident.
Nearly 500 people were seriously injured in addition to the 76 who lost their lives.
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