The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

At least 40 people were killed and more than 200 others were injured in several tragic road accidents in five districts of the country yesterday.

Of them, 28 were killed and 60 injured in Keraniganj, five killed and 20 injured in Tangail district, three killed and 40 injured in Bogra district, three killed and 45 injured in Bagerhat district, and four killed and four others injured in Habiganj district.

Twenty-eight people were feared killed and 60 injured as a BRTC bus and another passenger bus collided in a disastrous road accident on the Dhaka-Mawa highway at Rajendrapur in Dakkhin Keraniganj yesterday morning.

Witnesses said the Dhaka-bound BRTC bus rammed into the Mawa-bound bus while overtaking an auto-rickshaw at about 10:40am, and the two buses then crashed into the ditches on two sides of the road.

"Both the vehicles were reduced to useless wrecks as their roofs were

blown away under the impact of the violent head-on collision," said witnesses of the tragic scene, where the air was thick with screams and groans of the survivors. The auto-rickshaw also skidded off the road into one ditch as the driver lost control trying to avert collision.

Workers from the brick kiln nearby soon came to the rescue of the passengers of the accident-ridden vehicles. On information, police also rushed in and started ferrying the passengers to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Mitford Hospital in the capital and local clinics amid a heartrending scene.

Dakkhin Keraniganj thana sergeant Arman said he sent 16 dead bodies to different hospitals from the spot.

Mitford Hospital sources said 20 injured were admitted to the hospital in "critical condition" where six succumbed to their injuries.

Five of them were identified as Jakir, 22, Tapash, 40, Sufia, 35, Mariam, 55, and Anis, 42.

A DMCH source confirmed death of three injured males out of eight admitted there.

Besides, 12 injured people were admitted to a local clinic in critical condition.

Our Tangail Correspondent reports: Five people were killed and 20 others injured in a tragic road accident at Beelsarinda, on the outskirts of the town, yesterday morning.

Police said a Dhaka-bound passenger bus from Sirajganj overturned on the road at about 11am killing five passengers on the spot and injuring 20 others.

Twelve of the injured were admitted to Tangail General Hospital in critical condition.

Of the deceased, one was identified as Abdus Sattar, 50, of Gohalia village in Sadar upazila of Sirajganj district while identity of another could not be ascertained immediately.

A case was filed.

Our Bogra Correspondent reports: Three people were killed and 40 others injured in two accidents on Bogra-Rangpur and Dhaka-Bogra highways in northwestern Bogra district yesterday.

Police said a Rangpur-bound truck from Bogra crashed into a Dhaka-bound passenger coach at Mokamtola crossing in Shibganj upazila on Bogra-Rangpur highway at about 2am leaving two people dead on the spot and 40 others injured.

One Of the deceased was identified as Zarina Begum, 50, wife of Fazlul Haq of Thakurgaon district. Identity of the other deceased could not be known immediately.

In another incident, Absar Ali, 45, of Gokul Uttarpara in Sadar upazila was run over and killed by a bus at Shajahanpur on Bogra-Dhaka highway.

Our Bagerhat Correspondent reports: Three people were killed and 45 injured when a bus plunged into a roadside ditch at Madrassahghat in Mollahat upazila on Khulna-Mawa highway in southern Bagerhat district yesterday afternoon.

Police said the Madaripur-bound bus from Khulna skidded off the highway into the ditch after both of its rear tyres deflated, killing two passengers--Swapna Khatun, 12, and Masud Rana, 32, instantly and injuring 46 others.

Another injured Aleya Begum, 55, died after admitting her to Mollarhat Health Complex.

Of the other injured, 40 were admitted to Mollarhat Health Complex, Gopalganj Sadar Hospital and Khukna Medical College Hospital.

Condition of 20 injured was said to be critical.

Our Habiganj Correspondent reports: Four people were killed and four others were injured in two road accidents on Dhaka-Sylhet highway in northeastern Habiganj district, some 130 km northeast of Dhaka.

Police said that a Sylhet-bound truck rammed into a Dhaka-bound microbus at about 08:30 a.m. local time killing its three passengers on the spot and injuring four others.

In another incident in the district, a 4-year-old boy was injured when a bus ran him over at about 11:15 a.m. local time.

Bangladesh has one of the highest fatality rates for road accidents, which kill more than 10,000 people every year.

The principal contributing factors for accidents are adverse roadside environment, overloading, overtaking, reckless driving, carelessness of road users and failure to obey mandatory traffic regulations, according to the government agencies.