9 killed as microbus plunges into Barguna canal

At least nine people, including three children, died when a microbus, carrying a bridal party, plunged into a canal following a bridge collapse in the Hadia Bazar area of Barguna's Amtali this afternoon.

The deceased are Muni Begum, 40, her two daughters Tasfia, 11, and Tahiya, 7, Farida Begum, 55, Raiti, 30, Fatema Akhtar, 40, and Ruby Begum, 40, of Madaripur's Shibchar upazila, and Zakia Begum, 30, and her daughter Hridi, 5, of Amtali upazila's haldia village reports our Patuakhali correspondent.

Kazi Sakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Amtali Police Station, told The Daily Star the accident took place when 17 guests from the bride's house in Shibchar were going to the groom's house in Amtali's Haldia village around 2:00pm when a bridge collapsed into the canal.

All of them were relatives, he added.

Four people were rescued alive but three are still missing, said police.

Some of the injured are being treated at a local hospital.

Photo: Collected

Locals said the wedding was held yesterday and the guests of the bride's family were going to the groom's house for another reception today.

Saiful Islam Sohel, a local UP member, said after the bridge collapsed and the microbus fell into the hyacinth-filled canal, locals started the rescue operations.

Witnesses said heavy rainfall delayed the rescue leading to so many deaths. After the microbus was lifted, nine bodies were recovered from it.

Mahbub Khan, a survivor, told reporters that they left for the ceremony at the groom's house this afternoon in a microbus. When the microbus was crossing an iron bridge near Haldia Bazar, the bridge gave away and vehicle fell about 20ft into the waterbody.

"I can't remember anything after that. When I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital," he said.