Fourteen people were killed and several others injured when a passenger bus collided head-on with a sand-laden truck in Sarkarpara area of Baraigram upazila in Natore early on Tuesday, October 20.
The accident occurred at about 4:30am on the Natore-Pabna highway when an RP Paribahan bus travelling from Kuakata in Patuakhali to Chapainawabganj collided with a truck carrying sand from Kurigram to Pabna.
Several victims have been identified, including the bus driver, Sohel Rana, 40, son of Abdul Hakim of Farhadpur village in Godagari upazila, Rajshahi.
Other identified victims are Sohel Hossain, 30, son of Yunus Ali of Kazirhat village in Jajira upazila, Shariatpur; Jewel Rana, 40, son of Jahur Uddin of Barkandi village; Shalal Molla, 45, son of Jahan Uddin Molla of Dubisaheber village; Shahin Hossain, 25, of Kazirhat village; Anwar Haque, 30, son of Babar Ali of Konopara village in Bagmara upazila; and Tasfia Khatun, 8, daughter of late Shahidul Islam of Subidkhali village in Mirzaganj upazila, Patuakhali.
Rescue teams launched operations after reaching the site and transferred the injured to local clinics, an upazila health complex, Natore Sadar Hospital and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
Alamgir Hossain, sub-inspector and officer-in-charge of Banpara Highway Police Station, and Akhtar Hamid Khan, deputy station director of Natore Fire Service and Civil Defence, said rescuers began work after receiving reports of the crash and sent the casualties to hospitals.
Abdus Salam, a passenger on the bus, said he boarded the vehicle at around 9pm in Mostakpur, Madaripur, to travel to Chapainawabganj. His seat was towards the rear of the bus.
“The bus had excess passengers. All seats were occupied and many passengers were standing. There was not even space to put one’s feet inside the bus,” Salam said.
Salam alleged that the bus was travelling at excessive speed and that the driver applied hard brakes intermittently, causing passengers to be thrown from their seats.
National Parliament Whip Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu, Natore-4 MP Abdul Aziz, District Commissioner Sumoni Akter, Superintendent of Police Shariful Islam and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Laila Jannatul Ferdous visited the accident site.
“We will form an investigation committee over the incident. The names of the committee members will be announced later,” District Commissioner Sumoni Akter said.