18 killed in crashes on Eid day

Eighteen home-bound passengers have died and many more injured in five road accidents in four districts on the Eid day.

The districts are Noakhali, Narayanganj, Faridpur and Bhola.

Our correspondents report:

Noakhali

District Superintendant of Police Md Ilias Sharif said a bus heading for Lakshmipur’s Ramganj fell into a ditch at Joyag Union of Nokhali’s Somaimuri Upazila early on Tuesday.

Six, including three from a same family, died and 40 others injured in the accident, he said.

“The driver of the Balaka Express bus lost control of the vehicle at Barkot area and it tumbled into a roadside ditch,” said SP Ilias.

Those who died were Selina Akhter, 30, wife of Kabir Hossain of Ramganj Upazila in Lakshmipur district, their son Abu Sayed, 8, and daughter Kohinoor Begum, 5, ‘Khokan’, 35, of Begumganj under Noakhali and Nurul Haq, 45, of Ramganj.

The other victim is yet to be identified.

Locals in the area took the injured to different hospitals and clinics including Chatkhil Upazila Health Complex.

SP Ilias said three fire service units later rescued the bus.

The family of Kabir Hossain, an assistant of a contractor, were going to their Lakshmipur home to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.

Communications Minister Obaidul Quader visited the spot on Tuesday night.

"Reckless driving is the main cause of road mishaps," he told reporters. "Upgrading the roads to 10 or even 12 lanes won't work if reckless driving continues."

Faridpur

Bhanga highway police Sub-Inspector ‘Abdullah’ said four people were killed in two separate accidents involving microbuses at Maligram and Chumurdi areas of the district.

He said one passenger died on the spot and three others were injured when a microbus skided off the Dhaka-Barisal Highway at Chumurdi and fell into a ditch.

The three injured were pronounced dead by the doctor on duty at the Faridpur Medical College Hospital, where they had been rushed.

One of the victims was identified as Al-Amin, 22, the driver of the vehicle. He hailed from Gopalganj.

Abdullah said the second accident happened on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway near Maligram.

He said one was killed and four others were injured when a microbus fell into a roadside ditch.

The deceased was identified as ‘Zahedul’, 28, an inhabitant of Rajoir Upazila under Madaripur district.

The injured were admitted to the Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

Bhola

A Bhola Transport bus, travelling from Chittagong slipped off the road and fell into a ditch around 6:30 am Tuesday when its driver lost control at Charfashion’s Kortahat, said Police SI Saiful.

Three died and 25 were injured in the accident, he said.

Two among the dead were identified as ‘Salauddin’, 35, and ‘Helal’, 20.

One of the injured was rushed to the Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital and six others to Charfashion Upazila Health Complex.

Narayanganj

Three passengers of a black private car died when it crashed into a ditch at Jalkuri around 6:30 am, Siddhirganj Police Inspector Anisur Rahman said.

The car, he said, was going from Signboard to Chashara.

Those killed were ‘Sumon’, ‘Pintoo’ and ‘Salam’. Their bodies are at the Narayanganj Sadar morgue.
 

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