The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

At least 14 people were killed and 20 others injured when a picnic bus hit an electric pole and was electrified in Cox's Bazar on Thursday morning.

Thirteen of the dead were passengers of the bus while a pedestrian also died in the accident.

The bus was carrying about 50 garment workers and their families to their annual picnic in Cox's Bazar from Chittagong.

Eleven victims were identified as garment workers Rehana (20), Hasina (17), Parvin (25), Jasim (24), Baki (18), Bithi (22), Mita (24), Rokeya (26), Arif (25), Keya (25) and pedestrian Nabi Hossain (22).

Over 300 workers and their family' members of Trade Scan Apparel Ltd at Askarabad in Doublemooring Upazila under Chittagong city had arranged a picnic with six rented buses.

The accident occurred around 11:00 am on the day at Jettyghat in Rashidnagar of Ramu Upazila about 25km from Cox's Bazar. The bus first hit a small tree when it tried to avoid a collision with a fish-laden truck that suddenly jumped into the wrong side of the highway.

Pedestrian Nabi Hossain died on the spot when the bus hit the small tree. Then the bus hit an 11-kilovolt electric pole and the pole along with live wires collapsed on the bus electrifying the vehicle and starting a fire. Few passengers could jump out the bus through the windows.