At least two people were killed and several others injured after a freight train's wagons detached and rammed into three vehicles at the Khankhanapur rail crossing in Rajbari Sadar upazila on Sunday night.

The deceased were identified as Abdul Malek Sheikh, 45, of Baliakandi upazila, and Monowar Hossain Patwary, 50, of the Goalanda More area in Rajbari Sadar.

The accident occurred around 8:45 pm when the freight train carrying fuel oil from the Dhuldi power plant in Faridpur came apart, leaving four rear wagons detached from the engine and the front section of the train.

According to local residents, the train, comprising around 30 wagons, was travelling from Faridpur to Rajbari when the coupling connecting the last four wagons broke near the Khankhanapur rail crossing.

After the engine and the front section cleared the crossing, the gateman, believing the train had completely passed, lifted the barrier. A passenger bus, a Mahindra and a battery-powered easy bike then entered the crossing. Moments later, the detached wagons rolled into the vehicles, causing the collision.

The Mahindra and the easy bike were mangled in the impact, while the bus was pushed to the edge of a roadside ditch, locals said.

Panic spread in the area following the crash as local residents rushed to rescue the injured before personnel from the Highway Police and Fire Service joined the operation.

The injured were taken to Rajbari Sadar Hospital, while those in critical condition were later shifted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital. Abdul Malek Sheikh and Monowar Hossain Patwary died there while undergoing treatment.

Rajbari Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Uttam Kumar Ghosh said the injured were rescued and taken to hospital immediately after the crash.

"Two of the injured later died while undergoing treatment. Necessary legal action is being taken to determine the exact cause of the accident," the OC said.