17 killed in tragic Jhalakathi road crash

Published July 23, 2023 · Updated July 23, 2023

Rescuers trying to rescue passengers as a bus fell into a pond on Khulna-Barishal regional highway in front of Dhansiri Union Parishad under Sadar upazila in Jhalakathi, leaving 17 people dead. NN photo

Staff Reporter :
At least 17 people, including women and children, died and 25 others were injured when an overcrowded passenger bus veered off the road and plunged into a roadside waterbody in Jhalakathi Sadar upazila on Saturday morning.

Eyewitness and survivors said everything happened in the twinkling of an eye and the bus fell into the waterbody plunging five to six feet below.
Police sources said the accident occurred when the ill-fated bus of “Bashar Smrity Paribhan” was carrying around 60 passengers from Bhandaria to Barishal. As the high-speed bus heading for Barishal from Bhandaria in Pirojpur reached near Chhatrakanda of Dhansiri Union Parishad, the driver lost control over the steering and as a result the vehicle plunged into the waterbody.
After receiving the news, Jhalokathi Police and the Fire Service and Civil Defense personnel rushed to the scene to assist the locals in the rescue operation.

Officer-in-Charge of Jhalokathi Police Station Nasir Uddin Sarker told the media that they recovered the bodies of eight women, six men, and three children. The accident resulted in injuries to 25 people, who were immediately taken to Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital for treatment.

One of the injured passengers, Rasel Molla, stated that the bus with around 70 passengers on board left Bhandaria for Barishal at 8:45 AM.
Due to boarding of passengers at various points along the route, the number of passengers increased to approximately 70, with some even sitting on the rooftop.
The survivors alleged that at the moment of disaster the driver was engaged in conversation with the supervisor, Mohon.

Another passenger Mohammad Momen, who managed to come out of the bus after the accident, told the media, “When I boarded the 52-seated bus, I saw almost all the seats were full. Besides, I saw some more people were standing inside the vehicle.”
Such tragic road accidents are happening almost every day in the country, killing people and injuring many others for life. The figure of death toll is not decreasing which indicted the mismanagement in the transport sector.

The organisations working on the prevention of the road accidents blamed that the authorities concerned are not properly paying heed to their recommendations and steps are not being taken properly.

They said that there are multiple irregularities in the transport sectors and the transport owners and associations are not abiding by the national and international guidelines to ply their vehicles on the roads and the drivers are not pursuing the fundamentals of driving vehicles.

According to Jatri Kollyan Samity, a staggering 475 accidents took place across the country in June alone, resulting in the death of 513 people and injuries to 826 others.
The majority of these accidents occurred on national highways (33.26%), followed by regional highways (32%) and feeder roads (29.47%).
The Samity has identified multiple reasons for the increase of road accidents which include reckless driving, street racing, incompetent drivers, inadequate rest of the drivers, sleepy and tired drivers, fitness issues with vehicles, haphazard appearance of vehicles, lack of road signs and non-compliance with traffic laws.

Among the recommendations, the Samity Chairman Mozzamel Haque said that street racing has to be eliminated. Fair wages and work hours of the drivers are a must to curtail road accidents, he said.
The bodies identified immediately were Tarek Rahman (45), Salam Molla (60), Khadija Begum (43), Khushbo Akhtar (17), Shahin Molla (25), Sumaiya (6), Abdullah (8), Rahima Begum (60), Abul Kalam Hawladar, Ripamoni (2), Irin Akhtar (22), Nayan (16), Rabea Begum (80) and Salma Akhtar Mita (42).

Jhalokathi Deputy Commissioner Farah Gul Nizhum has informed that a five-member probe committee headed by Additional District Magistrate Mamun Shible has been formed to investigate the cause of the accident. The committee is expected to submit its report within three days.

Jhalokathi Bus Owners’ Association’s Joint General Secretary Mufti Nasir Uddin mentioned that the driver and supervisor of the bus escaped the scene. Only the helper, Akash (17), has been located.
The Jhalokathi Superintendent of Police, Mohammad Afrozul Haque Tutul, told the media that Taka one lakh has been distributed for the burial of the bodies upon the instruction of IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun.