10 killed as bridge collapses to plunge microbus and autorickshaw into canal in Barguna

Rescuers have pulled out 10 bodies from a canal while another person remains missing after a bridge collapsed in Barguna’s Amtali, plunging a microbus and an auto-rickshaw into the water.

The accident occurred on Haldia Hat bridge around 1:45pm on Saturday, said Amtali Police Station chief Shakhawat Hossain Tipu.

The identities of the victims could not be confirmed but Shakhawat said they were heading for a post-wedding reception in the New Bus Stand area.

The wedding ceremony of Saimun Rahman Sohag and Humayra Akter took place on Thursday. Their fathers are teachers of Kaunia Ibrahim Academy, a school in the same area.

The victims include women and children, said Amtali Upazila Parishad Chairman Golam Sarwar Forkan.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence was conducting the rescue operation at the scene, he added.

Photos of the scene showed a large portion of the iron bridge had collapsed into the hyacinth-covered canal.