Road crashes claim 20 lives

At least 20 people were killed and 82 others injured in separate road accidents in eight districts yesterday.

Of the 20 dead, seven were killed in Feni, four in Faridpur, three in Kishoreganj, two in Sirajganj, and one each in Gopalganj, Mymensingh, Barishal and Tangail.

Of the 82 injured, 32 were in Faridpur, 20 each in Feni and Sirajganj, four each in Mymensingh and Kishoreganj, and one each in Gopalganj and Barishal.

The injured were admitted in different hospitals in these districts and Dhaka, reports our correspondents.

In Feni, the accident took place when the driver of a Cox’s Bazar-bound bus lost his control over the steering on the Dhaka-Chattagram highway and hit a roadside tree near the Lemua Bridge area in Sadar upazila around 6:00am.

The passengers started their journey from the capital’s Pallabi.

The accident left two passengers dead on the spot, two died on their way to a local hospital and three others died while undergoing treatment, said police.

Of the dead, two were identified -- Shadat Hossain, 30, from Feni; and Sujan Miah, 40, from Munshiganj.

In Faridpur, at least four people were killed and 32 injured in two separate road accidents at Bhanga and Sadarpur upazilas.

Three of the dead were identified as Rowsan Fakir, 35, Mira Kundu, 60, and Sattar Mollah, 40, police said.

The first accident took place at around 8:30am when a Tuhin Paribahan bus took off from Faridpur and was on its way to Nilphamari’s Saidpur and collided head-on with a local bus in Bhanga upazila’s Nowpara area.

Rowsan, the local bus driver, and it’s passender Mira died on the spot.

Another victim, who could not be identified, was taken to a local hospital where he was declared dead.

Police seized both buses, said Ataur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bhanga Highway Police Station.

The second accident took place around 11:30am when a motorbike hit a man, who was standing beside the road in Sadarpur upazila’s Baburchar area.

The victim was identified as Sattar, who was declared dead after being taken to hospital, said Lutfar Rahman, OC of Sadarpur Police Station.

In Kishoreganj, three people were killed and four others injured in a road accident in Katiadi upazila’s Aachmita area.

The dead were identified as Jalal Mia, 30, driver of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, and its passengers Omar Faruq, 20, and Tofazzol Hossain, 28.

Quoting locals, police said the accident occurred when a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, heading towards Bhairab from Karimganj with six passengers, collided head-on with a truck around 11:15am.

After the accident, the three victims were taken to a local hospital where on-duty doctors declared them dead.

Police seized the truck but its driver managed to flee, said Md Shafiqul Islam, OC (Investigation) of Katiadi Police Station.

In Sirajganj, at least two people were killed and 20 injured as three buses collided at the Konabari point near the Bangabandhu bridge west-zone highway.

The accident occurred around 2:30pm when a Dhaka-bound Hanif Enterprise bus collided head-on with North Bengal-bound Five Star Paribahan bus at Konabari point, after which another bus hit the Hanif Enterprise bus, said police quoting witnesses.

The accident left two people dead on the spot, one of who was the driver of the Five Star Paribahan bus. The other victim could not be identified immediately, said Sayed Shahid Alam, OC of Bangabandhu Bridge West Zone Police Station.

Vehicular movement on the Bangabandhu bridge highway remained suspended for half an hour due to the huge traffic jam after the accident.

In Mymensingh, a madrasa student was killed and four of his family members were injured in a road accident in Phulpur upazila’s Imadpur area.

The dead was identified as Jayed, 6, son of Abdul Malek.

The accident took place around 1:00pm when a CNG-run auto-rickshaw heading to Sherpur collided head-on with a Mymensingh-bound bus at Imadpur area on the Mymensingh-Sherpur road, leaving Jayed dead on the spot.

The victims were all passengers of the auto-rickshaw. Police seized the bus, but its driver and helpers managed to flee the scene, said Imarat Hossain Gazi, OC of Phulpur Police Station.

In Gopalganj, a motorcyclist was killed while his wife was injured in a road accident at Gopalpur area under Kashiani upazila.

The dead was identified as Tuhin Mollah, 45.

The accident took place when Tuhin lost control and his motorbike overturned in Gopalpur area on the Dhaka-Khulna highway around 2:00pm. Tuhin died on the spot, said Ataur Rahman, OC of Bhanga Highway Police Station.

In Barishal, a motorcyclist was killed and another injured after the motorbike was hit by a bus in Notunhut area of Babuganj upazila around 1:130pm.

The deceased could not be identified immediately, said Dibakar Chandra Das, OC of Babuganj police station.

In Tangail, a college student was killed after his motorbike collided head-on with a pickup in Boali area under Sakhipur upazila around 9:30am.

The deceased was identified as Ishtiaq Ahmed, 18.

The pick-up driver and his helper fled the scene, said Amir Hossain, OC of Sakhipur police station.