5 killed as bus plunges into canal in Lakshmipur

Police say the death toll could rise

At least five people have died after a bus lost control and fell into a canal in Lakshmipur’s Sadar Upazila.

The incident took place around 9am on Saturday in front of Chandraganj Kofil Uddin Degree College, when the Lakshmipur-bound Ananda Paribahan bus veered off the road and landed in the Rahmatkhali canal, according to police.

Initially, two people were reported dead, but officials said three more bodies have since been recovered.

Lakshmipur Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Md Rezaul Haque, who was present at the site, said: “So far, five people have died in this accident. The number may rise further.”

Police have identified three of the victims as Morshed Alam, Zainal Abedin and Humayunur Rashid, though further details about them are not yet available.

Fire Service and law enforcement personnel remain at the scene, while rescue operations are continuing amid concerns that more passengers may still be missing.

Following the crash, traffic on the Lakshmipur–Dhaka regional highway was halted for about an hour, causing heavy congestion on both sides of the road. The army and law-enforcing agencies later worked to restore traffic flow.