Barishal Correspondent :
Two people were killed and at least 21 others injured, including family members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel.
The accident took place around 9:00 am on the Barishal-Patuakhali-Kuakata highway, when a RAB minibus collided head-on with a Dhanshiri Paribahan passenger bus at Fatulla Bazar area in Patuakhali on Saturday, police said.
The deceased were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Halim, the driver of the RAB minibus, and two-year-old Piyam, a child of a RAB member, confirmed Patuakhali police.
Patuakhali Fire Service Assistant Director Belal Uddin said, “We rescued 13 people, including the driver, from the RAB vehicle at the accident site and admitted them to Patuakhali Sadar Hospital.
It has been confirmed that a two-year-old child died there. Some of the injured are in critical condition.”
Tamanna Rahman, the doctor in charge of the emergency department of Patuakhali Medical College Hospital, said, “After the accident, 20 to 22 injured people were admitted to our hospital.
Among them, a two-year-old child and the driver died. The seriously injured have been sent to various places, including Barisal, for better treatment.” Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Sajedul Islam Sajal said, “It was a tragic accident.
The Dhanshiri Paribahan bus, coming from Kuakata, tried to overtake another vehicle at high speed and collided with the RAB coaster coming from the opposite direction.
We rescued the injured and sent them to Patuakhali CMH, where the RAB driver and a child succumbed to their injuries. The accident occurred due to reckless overtaking by the Dhanshiri Paribahan bus.”
According to police, the RAB coaster was heading towards Kuakata carrying around 30 family members of RAB personnel when it collided head-on with the Dhanshiri Paribahan bus coming from the opposite direction.
Local residents, members of the Fire Service, and RAB-8 personnel rushed to the spot and rescued the injured.
They were taken to Patuakhali Medical College Hospital and the Patuakhali Combined Military Hospital (CMH).The accident has cast a pall of grief among RAB and police officials.
