Indian Railways' Oxygen Express has embarked on its journey to Bangladesh loaded with 200 metric tonnes of oxygen as supplies run short in the neighbouring country amid a raging coronavirus pandemic. The loading of the liquid medical oxygen in 10 containers rake was completed in the morning.

“An indent was placed at Tata in Chakradharpur Division under South Eastern Railway to transport 200 metric tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen to Benapole, Bangladesh,” according to information provided by the railway ministry.

Bangladesh was also amongst the first countries to which India had supplied Covid vaccines under its Neighbours First policy as part of the historic ties between the two countries. 

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Indian Railways has now gained considerable experience in the quick transport of liquid oxygen to hospitals to save lives of Covid patients as it was moving large consignments every day during the ferocious second wave that had suddenly struck India.

The Oxygen Expresses were started by Indian Railways on 24th April, 2021 to provide respite to states requiring medical Oxygen. More than 35000 metric tonnes of LMO was transported to 15 states. Around 480 Oxygen Expresses were operationalised.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is re-imposing its coronavirus shutdown for two more weeks to check another surge infections and deaths from the virus after a week-long holiday that allowed Muslims to celebrate the Eid al-Adha festival.

Many of them, however, returned in crowded buses and ferries with public health experts fearing the consequences as Bangladesh reported average infections of nearly 11,000 and more than 200 deaths per day for the last week, according to a report in Al Jazeera.