Man denies minibus crash deaths

The men were due to begin work on farmland near Charlton

A 25-year-old man has denied the manslaughter of three minibus passengers who died when the vehicle collided with an inter-city train on an unmanned crossing.

Adnan Kadir Karim entered not guilty pleas to three counts of unlawful killing when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Friday.

He is alleged to have been driving the minibus when it collided with a Hereford to London express in July.

Mr Justice Curtis told Karim, of Carpenters Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, that his trial, scheduled to last nine days, would begin on 24 February next year.

Soran Karim, a 23-year-old Iraqi, Satish Kumar, 28, from India, and Islam Uddin Ahmed, 46, from Bangladesh, were all killed in the tragedy close to the village of Charlton, near Evesham, Worcestershire, on 7 July.

Two of the victims had been living in Smethwick, West Midlands, and the other in Stoke-on-Trent.

The defendant, who entered his pleas through an interpreter, was remanded in custody after the 25-minute hearing.

Mr Karim and the men killed were due to begin work on farmland near Charlton on the day the collision occurred.