3 die as bus and truck collide in Chandpur

Three people have been killed after a road accident involving a bus and truck in Chandpur’s Shahrasti.

At least 18 others have been injured in the incident.

The incident occurred in the Baniachon area of the Chandpur-Cumilla regional highway around 8am on Tuesday, according to Mir Mahbubur Rahman, chief of Shahrasti Police Station.

Police have yet to confirm the names and identities of the victims. The accident has affected traffic on the highway.

Police and witnesses say an Al-Arifa Paribahan passenger bus headed from Noakhali to Jashore crashed head-on into a sand-laden truck travelling in the opposite direction. The front sections of both vehicles were smashed in the accident. Several passengers were trapped inside the bus due to the damage.

Locals rushed to rescue the victims after the accident. Police arrived later and joined rescue operations. The injured have been sent to Shahrasti Upazila Health Complex for treatment.

Aklima Akter, health and family planning officer at the complex, said: “Eighteen people with injuries were brought to hospital from the scene. Three of them are in very critical condition. They were given first aid and sent to Cumilla Medical. The rest are being treated.”

Police official Mahbubur said, “Three bodies have been recovered from the scene so far. The death count may go up if any of the injured die.”