Two people were killed when a No. 8 down DEMU express train collided with a tractor between Pyuntanza and Daik-U stations on the Nyaunglebin-Bago railway line in Bago Region at around 4 p.m. on September 14, according to reports.

The No. 8 down DEMU express train, which had departed Nay Pyi Taw at around 12:30 p.m., collided with a tractor that was crossing the railway line at an unauthorized crossing between Pyuntanza and Daik-U stations, near a location between Pyuntanza town and Kama Phron Village.

The impact split the tractor into two and severely damaged it. The two men travelling on the tractor died at the scene.

The Shwe Ye Nwe social relief association went to the scene to provide assistance. Rescuers extricated one person who was trapped inside the tractor and transported the bodies of the two deceased men to Pyuntanza Township Hospital.

The collision also caused damage to the front section of the DEMU train.

In a separate incident on September 13, a No. 5 up DEMU express train, which departed Yangon at 7 a.m., collided with a sidecar motorcycle that suddenly crossed the railway line. A Buddhist monk and a novice monk travelling in the sidecar died in the accident.

As a result, four people were killed in railway-crossing accidents on two consecutive days.

Commenting on the incidents, a Myanmar Railways official wrote on social media:

“People crossing the railway need to follow the rules. Yesterday, the No. 5 up train collided with a sidecar motorcycle, and a monk and a young novice monk died. Today, the No. 8 down train collided with a tractor, and both people on the tractor died instantly. I have also been doing as much as I can to warn and educate people, but the situation is getting worse and worse.”

With train collisions involving vehicles crossing the railway occurring on two consecutive days, there is an increasing need for people to strictly follow the rules and safety regulations when crossing railway tracks.