At least six people were killed and 25 injured when a bus plunged into a roadside pond on Rangpur-Badarganj road in Rangpur Sadar upazila early Wednesday.
Five of the deceased were identified as Asad Ali, 55, of the district town; Rezaul Karim, 55, of the upazila; and Kafil Uddin, 55, Sadeque Ali, 60, and Akil Uddin, 60, of Badarganj upazila, reports our Rangpur correspondent.
Altaf Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said the Muslim devotees of Tablig Jamat hired the bus to return home after attending the akheri munajat of the Bishwa Ijtema preparatory congregation held on the east bank of the river Turag in the capital on Tuesday. A three-day Bishwa Ijtema will begin from January 13 on the river bank.
The accident occurred around 5:30am when the driver of a Badarganj-bound bus of Chishtia Paribahan lost control over the steering and fell into a roadside pond while giving way to a microbus coming from the opposite direction in Nazirerhat area of the upazila, said Selim Haider, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the police station.
“I am afraid the death toll might go up as the condition of six to seven injured passengers was stated to be critical,” he said.
All six passengers died on the spot, Selim Haider added.
The ASI suspected that poor visibility triggered by the dense fog may have been the major reason behind the accident.
The injured were rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
The injured passengers complained that the bus was carrying more passengers than its capacity and it also had a number of people on its roof.
They also complained that the driver was very reckless while driving and would not pay heed to the passengers’ request to drive carefully considering the poor visibility due to the dense fog.
The bus driver, helper and supervisor however managed to flee the scene immediately after the accident.
The bodies were handed over to the victims’ family members without autopsy following their request, the OC added.
A case was filed with the police station in this connection.
-With The Daily Star input
