Dhaka, March 22 -- Railway officials say the level crossing at Cumilla's Paduar Bazar, where a train crashed into a bus killing a dozen people, remained intact after the collision, suggesting the barrier had not been lowered and that no gatekeeper was present at the time.

The accident took place in the early hours of Sunday amid the Eid festivities at the Paduar Bazar level crossing on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

The Dhaka-bound Dhaka Mail train from Chattogram was passing through the crossing when a Mamun Special bus travelling from Chuadanga to Lakshmipur moved onto the tracks.

At least 12 people were killed at the scene and another eight injured. The mangled bus was dragged nearly a kilometre by the train after the impact.

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