At least 17 people including seven children and five women were killed and 35 others injured when a bus plunged into a roadside pond at Chhatrakanda in Sadar upazila of Jhalakathi district on Saturday.
Thirteen of the deceased were identified as Tariq, 55, Salam Molla, 50, Shahin Molla, 30, Abdullah, 7, Sumaiya, 5, Rahima, 60, Abul Kalam Hawlader, 50, Ripa Moni, 3, Irene, 22, of Rajpur upazila, and Nayan, 16, Khushbu, 19, Khadija, 55, and Rabeya, 55, of Bhandaria while the identities of the others could not be known immediately.
The Barishal-bound bus from Bhandaria in Pirojpur district carrying around 70 passengers fell into the pond near Union Parishad office around 9:55 am, leaving 17 people dead and 35 others injured, said Sub-inspector of Sadar Police Station Shakhawat Hossain.
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Azad Hossain, a passenger who was coming with his family in the bus, said, “The bus driver was not driving properly and was repeatedly talking with the helper, conductor and passengers. The moment the bus made a turn on the side of the road, he turned the steering to the right and the bus lost control and overturned and fell into the pond.”
Nasir Uddin Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Jhalakathi Police Station, said the bus lost control and overturned in a pond on the side of the road and due to this, many passengers could not get out of the bus easily and drowned.
According to the police, there were no injury marks on the dead bodies in the “suratehal” report (inquest) and they died due to drowning. Dr Baishakhi Baral, who is in charge of the emergency department at Jhalokati Sadar Hospital, confirmed the matter.
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The injured were taken to Sadar Hospital.
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Jhalakathi Superintendent of Police Mohammad Afrozul Haque Tutul said the DIG of the police department has announced to give Tk 1 lakh for the burial and cremation of the deceased and it has been sent to the families of the deceased. He added that no one is interested in filing a case so far. However, if no one complains on behalf of the families of the victims, the police will file a case. Efforts are on to arrest the driver, contractor and helpers of the bus.