Faridpur bus crash kills 25, injures 21

Twenty-five people, including five women, were killed and 21 others injured as a bus crashed into roadside tress on the Faridpur-Barisal highway at Koidubi in Bhanga upazila early Thursday. Of the deceased, 13 were identified as Shariful Sheikh, supervisor of the bus and a resident of Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj district; Gopal, Shahin, Afzal, Surjo Begum and Rezaul, hailing from Barisal district; Aklima Akter, Amena and Helal, hailing from Patuakhali district; Mithun from Borguna district and Monirul Islam and Hasna Begum from Jessore district. Rest of the deceased could not be identified yet but efforts were on to confirm their identities. Police said the Barisal-bound bus met the tragic accident when it crashed into 2/3 roadside trees as its driver lost control over the steering in the area around 1:15 am, leaving 24 of its passengers dead on the spot and 22 others injured. The injured were admitted to Bhanga Upazila Health Complex and Faridpur Medical College Hospital where another died. On information, Bhanga highway police and a fire fighting unit from the upazila headquarters rushed to the spot. The district administration gave Tk 10,000 to each of the families of the deceased. The administration has assured to provide necessary medical support to the injured. A three-member probe committee, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Abdur Rashid, has been formed to investigate the incident, said Deputy Commissioner Sarafat Ali. Mollik Fakhrul Hossain, DIG of highway police (Dhaka zone), Fakhrul Islam, police super of Faridpur, and Zamil Hasan Nixon Chowdhury, lawmaker from Bhanga-4, visited the spot. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed profound shock at the loss of lives in the road accident.– Faridpur, Apr 9 (UNB)