Microbus Crashes Into Pond: 8 of a family killed on the way to funeral

Saudi expatriate Ratan Mia and his cousin Shahjahan were heading to Nalitabari of Sherpur along with their families in a microbus to be at the funeral of their cousin.

Their cousin, Hasen Ali, 45, died of heart attack Monday night.

Saddened and shocked, the grief-stricken families were yet to process the loss. But before they could reach, the microbus carrying 14 passengers, hit a roadside tree and fell into a pond, killing eight of them and injuring six others.

The accident took place in Banshati area on Mymensingh-Sherpur highway in Mymensingh around 7:45am yesterday.

"My whole world turned upside down. Where have you gone my daughter? How would my three children live now?" said an inconsolable Shahjahan, 45. The father of four lost his mother, wife, and the seven-year-old daughter.

Ratan, 54, came to Bangladesh early this year and got stuck due to the pandemic. He sustained critical injuries and was sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

His mother, wife and uncle were killed in the crash.

Narrating the accident, Rubel Mia, one of the surviving members of Shahjahan's family, said the driver Nazrul Islam, 40, dozed off for a moment. He opened his eyes and saw an oncoming truck which he tried to avoid by swerving to the left. But he lost control. 

Nazrul fled the scene.

On information, police and fire service personnel rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies and rescued the injured.

Imarat Hossain Gazi, officer-in-charge of Phulpur police station, said they suspect that the driver was speeding.

Police handed over the bodies to the family yesterday afternoon.

The dead were identified as Rezia Khatun, 70, her daughter-in-law Ripa Akter, 28, and Rezia's sister Parul Akter, 45, and brother Shamsul Haque, 60, of Moshakhali village in Gafargaon upazila; Miluara Begum, 60, her daughter-in-law Begum, 30, Begum's daughter Bulbuli, 7, of Birunia village in Bhaluka upazila and Nabi Hossain, 30, hailing from Tarakanda upazila of the district.

Apart from Ratan and Shahjahan, the injured are: Habibur Rahman, 55, Mizanur Rahman, 28, Sohrab Hossain, 28, Shahjahan Mia, 45, and Sharful Islam, 35.