United News of Bangladesh

Two people were killed and nearly 30 others injured after gunfire broke out at a large homecoming party in the southern US state of Georgia early Sunday, authorities said. Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy identified those killed as Jaquevion Jackson, 21, of Cordele, and Macaleb Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville. He did not say whether the two were related. Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said some of the injured suffered gunshot wounds but could not confirm how many. “We're still trying to work through that,” Hosey said at a news conference Sunday evening. No arrests had been announced several hours after the shooting, and authorities had not identified a possible motive. The injured, aged between 14 and 51, were taken to several hospitals in the region. Some remained in critical condition while others were stable, Peavy said. More than 1,000 people were attending the event when more than 50 shots were fired at at least two locations about a block apart, Peavy told WMAZ-TV. Vienna, a small rural community, is about 210 kilometres south of Atlanta. Deputies were near the area when the shooting began, Peavy said. After they arrived, additional gunfire broke out about a block away. The shooting occurred during homecoming weekend for Dooly County High School but was not a school-sponsored event, school superintendent Sherrod Willaford said. “We recognise that its impact may reach many of our students, families, and staff,” he said in a statement. Schools were scheduled to reopen Monday with additional safety measures in place, although officials did not provide details. Ashley Gee, 30, who travelled from nearby Turner County to attend the party, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she heard repeated bursts of gunfire before people began running. “Like a machine gun,” she said. The party reportedly attracted people from several surrounding counties after a local high school football team's homecoming victory Friday night. Peavy said celebrations began Friday and remained peaceful as deputies patrolled the area. Saturday night's gathering, however, became much more difficult to control because of the large crowd. Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls said the two victims were pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. He described the scene as “horrific” and said several others were shot, while about a dozen people were injured while trying to escape. “This doesn't — it's not supposed to — happen in a small town like that,” Walls told the newspaper. Authorities have not said whether suspects have been identified or whether anyone is in custody. Investigators are continuing to search for suspects and determine a motive. Vienna Mayor Eddie Daniels said the shooting occurred about a block from his home. He said he saw numerous police vehicles but had not yet received details from investigators. Daniels also said the city had not issued a permit for the block party and that he did not know whether it was officially connected to the high school's homecoming. Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Lydia Bullard declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Israeli troops shot dead a person suspected of attempting to infiltrate an Israeli military position in southern Syria, the Israeli military said Monday. The incident took place in an area inside Syrian territory that Israel refers to as its "security zone," according to the military. No Israeli soldiers were injured in the incident. The military did not disclose the identity of the person or say whether the individual was carrying a weapon. Israel deployed troops into southern Syria after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, taking up positions both inside and outside a UN-monitored buffer zone. The United Nations has called on Israel to withdraw its forces.

Two people were killed and at least eight others injured after a bus hit two vehicles on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh on Thursday morning. The deceased were reportedly passengers of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. Their identities could not be confirmed immediately. Police and locals said a Dhaka-bound United Paribahan bus first hit a stationary Mahindra vehicle in the Kazir Shimla area around 8:30am and then rammed a passenger-carrying auto-rickshaw. Both vehicles were badly damaged in the collision. The bus subsequently lost control and overturned on the roadside, leaving at least 10 people injured. Locals rescued those injured and took them to Trishal Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared two of them dead. The other injured were later shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Mansur Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Trishal Police Station, said they recovered the bodies. Police seized the bus, but its driver and helper fled the scene following the accident, he said.

Hundreds of people gathered at a mass funeral in eastern Congo on Monday to mourn 27 students who died in a fire that swept through two schools, as grieving families wept and officials laid wreaths and delivered speeches. The fire broke out last Thursday at a house in Bukavu before spreading to two neighboring schools, triggering a stampede as students tried to escape. At least 27 students were killed and dozens injured, according to local authorities. Moïse Lubala, a local neighborhood administrator, told The Associated Press that several students became trapped inside Furaha Secondary School and some suffocated. The cause of the fire remains unknown, while the densely populated area is filled with wooden houses. Medical workers were struggling to determine the exact number of injured because so many people were affected, Lubala said. Annunciat Kujirabwinja Zagabe attended Monday’s funeral to say goodbye to her 13-year-old grandson, Tuonane Machara wa Kidogo. “The last time I spoke to him, I urged him to study hard so that one day he could become like his teachers, and he was doing well at school,” she said through tears. She recalled that her grandson had reached eighth grade without failing a year. “He left home for school and simply died. It is horrific,” she said. Alice Ambika Musafiri, one of the teachers, also broke down as she remembered the tragedy. She said the voices of children crying for help continued to haunt her. “Ma’am, I’m being trampled!” she recalled the students shouting. Musafiri said she tried to rescue the children, but the crowd made it impossible to save everyone. “My children, I had no way to save you. I lacked the strength; that is why I saved who I could,” she told the AP as a friend supported her. Since February 2025, Bukavu has been under the control of M23 rebels. The Congolese government has struggled to regain control of the country’s east, where more than 100 armed groups are fighting for access to trillions of dollars in mineral resources vital to global technology industries. Health services are also under severe pressure as the region faces what has been described as the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, with more than 3,300 deaths and over 6,800 confirmed cases. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the political-military coalition Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which includes M23, promised measures to improve protection for schoolchildren and prevent similar fires. “Many things happen here on earth by God’s will, for we are all pilgrims here; yet, many things also stem from idleness and our own human errors,” he said at the funeral. “As residents of Bukavu in particular and of the DRC in general let us resolve, starting today, to take a stand and make the decision to limit such damage through our own actions,” Nangaa said. This version keeps the emotional accounts, casualty figures, political context and health crisis while using simpler, more natural newsroom language.

Two people were killed and four others injured when a truck rammed a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on Mymensingh-Gafargaon road at Kalirbazar in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh district on Monday. One of the deceased was identified as Jashim, 38, driver of the auto-rickshaw and son of Mofiz Uddin of Suthiakhali village while the identity of another could not be known immediately. The accident occurred around 12:30 pm when the sand-laden truck hit a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, leaving its driver killed on the spot and five others injured, said Mansur Ahmed, Officer-in-Charge of Trishal Police Station. The injured were taken to Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared another one dead. Police seized the truck.

At least 481 people were killed and 664 injured in  road accidents across Bangladesh in August, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF). Of the deceased, 61 were women and 58 were children, the report said. It said 183 motorcycle accidents claimed 176 lives, accounting for 36.59 percent of the total deaths and 35.67 percent of all road crashes during the month. The RSF prepared the report based on information published in nine national dailies, 17 national and regional online news portals, electronic media and its own sources. According to the report, 163 accidents, or 31.77 percent, occurred on national highways, while 217 (42.30 percent) took place on regional roads, 62 (12.08 percent) on rural roads and 71 (13.84 percent) on city roads. The report said trucks, covered vans, pickups, tractors, trolleys, lorries, dump trucks, oil tankers and 14-wheel lorries were involved in 28.57 percent of the accidents. Motorcycles were involved in 25.90 percent, passenger buses in 13.75 percent and three-wheelers in 14.95 percent. Among the fatalities, motorcycle riders accounted for the highest share at 176, followed by three-wheeler passengers at 78, occupants of trucks and similar heavy vehicles at 51, and bus passengers at 37. The report also showed that 21 people travelling in locally made vehicles such as Nasimon, Bhatbhati and Mahindra were killed, while five rickshaw and bicycle riders died. In August, seven waterway accidents left six people dead and nine injured, while 34 railway track accidents killed 27 people and injured 23. Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of road crashes, with 172 incidents leaving 144 people dead. Barishal Division recorded the lowest number, with 15 accidents and 14 deaths. Among individual districts, Bogura recorded the highest number of deaths, with 37. In Dhaka city, 48 road accidents claimed 23 lives and injured 54 people. The report said 61 students were among those killed. The deceased also included 27 political activists, 24 local-level businesspeople, 21 sales representatives of medicines and other products, 19 NGO workers, 13 day labourers, 12 bank and insurance employees, 11 teachers, seven garment workers, four journalists, four mosque imams or khadams, three doctors, three air force members, three motor mechanics, two army personnel, two engineers and one police member. The RSF observed that the average daily death toll from road crashes rose to 15.51 in August from 13.41 in July, representing a 15.65 percent increase in fatalities. It attributed most accidents to excessive speed and loss of control by vehicles, stressing the need for technology-based speed monitoring and motivational training for drivers. The organisation also said reckless driving and pedestrian negligence were contributing to the rising number of pedestrian deaths. It identified faulty vehicles and roads, reckless driving, unskilled or physically and mentally unfit drivers, undefined wages and working hours, the movement of slow-moving vehicles on highways, reckless motorcycle riding by young people, ignorance of and disregard for traffic laws, weak traffic management, capacity constraints at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and extortion in the public transport sector as major causes of road crashes. The RSF recommended restructuring the National Road Safety Council and bringing the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) under its supervision. It also called for structural and management reforms in the transport agencies, mandatory use of modern vehicle safety technologies, removal of expired vehicles from roads, introduction of modern company-based bus services in Dhaka through route rationalisation, expansion of BRTC services, better training and welfare for professional drivers, and safer road designs with service lanes for slow-moving vehicles. The organisation further recommended appointing gatekeepers at all railway crossings, allocating funds in the national budget for road safety awareness, enhancing road-safety expertise among administration cadre officials and integrating road, rail and waterways under a unified transport ministry.

At least eight people were killed and hundreds remained missing after an avalanche of ice and rocks triggered massive flash floods in parts of Nepal on Wednesday, sweeping away villages and damaging roads and other infrastructure. Officials said 384 tourists were reported missing, including 291 visitors from India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia. The Bhotekoshi River overflowed around 9 a.m., flooding several villages and damaging roads and hydropower projects, officials said. Authorities warned people in several districts to stay away from the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers. “We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” Nepali government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel said. Rasuwa district was among the worst-hit areas. The district experienced similar flooding in August last year after a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet overflowed amid rising temperatures in the mountain region. Nine people were killed and key infrastructure, including a bridge linking Nepal and China, was damaged at the time. Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday’s flooding. The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, saw the highest level of flooding, they said. “The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time after an ice-rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side blocked the river and sent a sudden surge downstream,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the organization. “In a warming Himalaya, early warning is the first line of adaptation,” he said. The Himalayan region, which includes Nepal and parts of several neighboring countries, including India, is highly vulnerable to floods, landslides and heavy rainfall. Experts say the region is warming faster than the global average because of human-driven climate change. Extreme weather events such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall and glacier melt have become more frequent in the region. Researchers at the Kathmandu-based organization said earlier this year that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya are melting at an accelerating pace, with the rate of ice loss doubling since 2000, largely due to rising global temperatures and climate change.

Two people were killed when a bus rammed a human hauler on Natore-Rajshahi highway at Ramaigachi in Sadar upazila of Natore district on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Syed Mia, 45, a human hauler driver, and Sabbir Hossain, 23 of the upazila. The accident occurred in the afternoon when a Dhaka-bound bus from Rajshahi hit the human hauler, leaving two people dead on the spot, said Mansur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Sadar Police Station. On information, a firefighting unit rushed to the scene and recovered the bodies. The bodies were later sent to the Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Seven Bangladeshi nationals were killed in the fire that broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, India early Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said on Thursday. The fire broke out at a hotel on Free School Street near New Market, one of Kolkata’s busiest and most densely populated areas. On Wednesday, the ministry confirmed five deaths citing local authorities. “According to local authorities, nine people have so far died in the fire. Police have confirmed the identities of five of them as Bangladeshi nationals,” the ministry said in a media release. Four of the Bangladeshi victims were members of the same family, it said, adding that local authorities have yet to confirm the identities of the remaining victims. Meanwhile, six Bangladeshi nationals injured in the fire have been released from hospital after receiving primary treatment. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Wednesday said the government will bring back the bodies of five Bangladeshi nationals killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata as soon as possible after completion of the identification and other necessary formalities. UNB Satkhira correspondent reports: two residents of Kaliganj upazila in Satkhira were among those killed in the devastating fire. The deceased were Alimuzzaman Saju, son of late Yunus Ali of Bareya village and Rebati Sarkar, wife of Bhavesh Sarkar of Tentulia village, both under Tarali Union of Kaliganj upazila. News of their deaths reached the area around 10pm on Wednesday, sending shockwaves through the two families and the local community. Kaliganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Milon Saha told UNB over the phone that he had learned that two of those killed in the Kolkata fire were residents of Kaliganj.“Efforts are underway at the higher government level to bring the bodies back to the country as soon as possible,” he said. Saju, who had shrimp enclosure business, travelled to India five to six days ago for treatment of back pain and was scheduled to return home on Wednesday, according to his brother. Rebati travelled to India about three months ago for medical treatment and returned home after seeing a doctor, said her family. She had gone to Kolkata again for a follow-up consultation when she died in the hotel fire. The families have demanded that the bodies be repatriated to Bangladesh as soon as possible. “We have already contacted our Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and the family members of those who were killed. Once the identification and other formalities are completed, we can bring these bodies back to Bangladesh as soon as possible,” State Minister Shama Obaed told reporters on Wednesday, adding that the Bangladesh mission in Kolkata is working on the matter. Responding to a question, the State Minister said the government would consider bearing the repatriation expenses if the families of the victims are unable to afford them. Officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close contact with hospitals and local police to provide necessary assistance to the Bangladeshi nationals affected by the incident, said the ministry. The mission has also opened a round-the-clock helpline to assist Bangladeshi nationals and their families. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close coordination with the relevant Indian authorities and monitoring developments concerning the Bangladeshi victims. A Bangladeshi journalist and three members of his family were among those killed in the fire. The deceased were identified as Debashis Dutta, 40, Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel Nine; his wife, Afsana Simmin, 25; their three-year-old daughter, Swarna Shish Dutta; and his father-in-law, Akram Ali, 64. According to family sources, Dutta had travelled to Kolkata with his ailing wife for medical treatment. He is survived by another daughter, aged eight, as well as his parents. Besides, 38-year-old Ahmed Babu, a cosmetics businessman from Savar, was among those killed in the blaze.

Three people were killed and at least 18 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a sand-laden truck at Baniyacho in Shahrashti upazila of Chandpur on Tuesday morning. All three deceased were men  but their identities could not immediately be confirmed, said Additional Superintendent of Police of Chandpur Lutfor Rahman. The accident occurred around 8am when the Al-Arafah Paribahan bus was trying to overtake another vehicle and collided with the truck coming from the opposite direction, said witnesses. Officer-in-Charge of Shahrashti Police Station Mir Mahbubur Rahman said Noakhali-to-Jashore-bound Al-Arafah Paribahan bus collided head-on with the sand-laden truck coming from the opposite direction. The front portions of both vehicles were badly mangled in the collision, leaving several bus passengers trapped inside. The injured were taken to Shahrashti Upazila Health Complex. Aklima Akter, health and family planning officer of Shahrashti Upazila, told UNB that 18 injured people were brought to the hospital from the accident site. "They were given emergency treatment. Three of them were in critical condition and were referred to Cumilla Medical College Hospital after receiving initial treatment," she said. The remaining injured are undergoing treatment at the hospital, she added. OC Mir Mahbubur Rahman said three bodies have so far been recovered from the scene and rescue operation is still underway.