In a bizarre incident, a train carrying 23 passengers in Bangladesh today travelled backwards for at least 26 kilometres without any driver or guard on board.
The train bound for Faridpur from Rajbarhi was waiting on platform with six carriages and 23 passengers on board when the engine accidentally shifted to auto gear and began moving backwards, Rajbarhi Station Master Kamruzzaman said.
"The driver got off the train to have a cup of tea, leaving the engine running. There were no guards on board either. The engine accidentally shifted to auto gear and began moving backwards toward Kushtia," he said.
"The ticket collector Anwar Hossain managed to release the pipe of the vacuum break between the carriages and was able to halt the train near Babubazar Bridge," Kamruzzaman said.
Later a light engine brought it back to Rajbarhi station around 10 am, said the station master.
Kamruzzaman said driver Mohammad Ali and guard Subhash Chandra Sarkar were temporarily suspended by the Pakshi Railway Division.
A five-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident.
