Eighteen people, including a child and five women, were killed and 25 others injured in a road accident at Chakoria of Cox’s Bazar early Monday on the Cox’s Bazar-Chittagong highway.
Police and witnesses said the accident took place as a Cox’s Bazar-bound bus coming from Fatikchari Nanopour Maizbhandar Shrine in Chittagong hit a railing of the Chiringha Bridge over the Matamuhuri in Chakoria at 5:30am and nosedived into the river, leaving 16 people dead on the spot and 25 others injured.
Locals hearing the crash rushed to the spot and rescued the injured and retrieved the bodies.
The wounded were first admitted to Chakoria upazila health complex, where one of them succumbed to his injuries.
Later, 11 critical injured were transferred to Chitagong Medical College Hospital, with one of them dying on the way.
Identities of only two of the deceased could be confirmed. They are Absar Uddin, 50, and Abdur Rashid, 45, of Ward 5 of Gazipur City Corporation.
Police said all the victims were residents of the same ward of the city corporation.
Cox’s Bazar police super M Azad Mia said the driver of the bus had probably fallen asleep while crossing the bridge and, so, lost control, hit the railing, and fell 30 feet down to the river.
Chakoria municipality and Chakoria Upazila Parishad have taken the necessary steps for sending the bodies to Gazipur, said Chakoria Upazila Parishad chairman Rezaul Karim.
Courtesy of New Age
