Two passengers die as bus catches fire in Cumilla

At least two people have been killed and 22 others injured after a bus caught fire in Cumilla’s Daudkandi, police say.

The Matlab-bound bus of Matlab Express from Dhaka caught fire when it reached Gouripur bus stand on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway on Thursday evening.

Zahirul Haque, OC of Daudkandi Highway Police, confirmed the death toll to bdnews24.com.

He said at least 12 of the injured were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The others were admitted to Daudkandi Upazila Health Complex.

The dead passengers are Rafiqul Islam, 75, from Daudkandi’s Tinpara village and his grandson 5-year-old Shafin.

Doctor Mohammad Jamaluddin of Daudkandi Upazila Health Complex said some of the injured were in critical condition.

Zahirul said they suspect the fire originated from the gas cylinder of the bus after refuelling.

He said the police were trying to ease a huge tailback on the highway following the fire incident.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence workers doused the fire before it spread to nearby vehicles and shops.

Bachchu Mia, an inspector at the DMCH police camp, said 12 people injured in the Daudkandi incident were brought to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

They are Omar Faruk, 50, Golam Hossain, 70, Mohammad Mizan, 52, Kohinur Begum, 32, Sanjana, 13, Shamsunnahar, 70, Nurul Islam, 75, Mohsina, 38, Taslima, 6, Halima Begum, 61, Tahiya, 10, and Abdur Rahim, 55.

Citing doctors, Bachchu said Golam Hossain suffered 31 percent burn while Faruk and Mizan 8 percent. They were admitted to the hospital while the others, who suffered minor injuries, would be released.

One of the injured passengers, Shafique, said the fire erupted immediately after it stopped at the bus stand sometime after refuelling.

Riyad Hossain, another passenger who was admitted to Daudkandi Upazila Health Complex, said the fire reached near his seat on the back of the bus within moments. He cut his hand while jumping off a window.

Quamrul Islam Khan, Daudkandi Upazila Nirbahee Officer, visited the scene after the accident. He gave each of the families of the dead Tk 20,000 for burial and Tk 10,000 to each of the injured passengers.