Rail communication between Sylhet and the rest of the country remained suspended for nearly five hours after several wagons of an oil-laden freight train derailed in the Lawachara area on the Bhanugachh–Sreemangal rail section on Friday afternoon, the second day of Eid-ul-Azha.

The derailment occurred around 3:30pm near the  area of Lawachara.

Following the incident, a relief train was dispatched from Akhaura Railway Junction to the accident site and reached Shayestaganj Station, said Station Master Liton Chandra De.

Sreemangal Railway Station booking assistant Md Amzad Hossain said the engine of the stranded Jayantika Express at Satgaon Station would assist the relief train in the recovery operation. Railway authorities said train services are unlikely to return to normal until the work is completed.

Bhanugachh Railway Station Master Gour Prosad Das said an oil-carrying freight train bound for Chattogram derailed in Lawachara. “It is not possible to confirm right now when the line will be cleared,” he said.

Several passenger trains remained stranded at different stations following the accident. The Sylhet-bound Jayantika Express was stuck at Satgaon Station, while multiple Dhaka-bound and Sylhet-bound trains were also halted.

The disruption caused severe suffering for passengers during the Eid holiday rush as they waited for the relief train to arrive and the recovery operation to end.