At least 12 people were killed and 20 others were injured as a train hit a bus on a rail crossing in the Paduar Bazar area under Sadar Dakhkhin upazila in Cumilla district early Sunday.

The accident occured at about 2:55am, the police said.

Identities of the victims could not be known immediately.

Mainamati Highway Police Station duty officer Biplob Das said that a Noakhali-bound bus of Mamun Paribahan from Dhaka met the fatal accident when a Dhaka-bound mail train from Chattogram hit it when it had been crossing the Paduar Bazar Rail Crossing.

The incident left 12 people dead and 20 others injured. All the victims are busy passengers.

He said that the the police, locals and fire service officials immediately rushed to the spot, recovered the bodies and rescued the victims.

He said that the victims were taken to nearby hospital, including Cumilla Medical College Hospital.

Md Brohan Uddin, an on-duty nurse at CuMCH, said that 12 people, including seven males, two women and three children, were brought dead to the hospital.

He said that they received 19 injured people and four of them were admitted to the hospital.

15 other injured victims left the hospital after receiving primary treatment, he said.

FP/A