At least 17 people, including 13 members of four families, were killed in a fatal multi-vehicle crash on Dhaka-Rajshahi Highway in Katakhali area in Rajshahi city on Friday (March 26).
Three vehicles-- a bus, a microbus and a human hauler (Laguna)-- were involved in the massive pile-up at about 1:45 pm. One of the vehicles caught fire after the head-on collision, leaving all the 13 members of four families inside it dead.
The 13 persons are the residents of Rangpur. Some of the deceased were identified as Salahuddin of Razarampur village under Pirganj upazila in Rangpur, his wife Shamsunnahar, her sister Kamrunnahar, Salahuddin’s two children Sajid and Saba, Mukhlesur Rahman of Dharikapara village of the same upazila, Ful Mia of Boro Majidpur village, his wife Nazma Begum, their three children Sumaiya, Sadia and Foysal, Tajul Islam Bhutto, his wife Mukta and their daughter Yeamin.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Golam Ruhul Kuddus said that 13 members of the four families were roasted alive in the gas cylinder explosion during the road accident.
However, two severely injured persons of the road accident were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH). However, the deceased were also taken to RMCH for autopsy.
Abdur Rouf, Senior Station Officer of Rajshahi sadar station of Fire Service and Civil Defense, said that a Hiace microbus was proceeding towards Rajshahi from Rangpur while an inter-district bus of Hanif Paribahan was moving towards Dhaka from Rajshahi through Dhaka-Rajshahi highway. At Katakhali on the highway under Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP), both the bus and microbus collided head on. As a result, driver of the microbus lost control of the vehicle and it crashed on a standing human hauler, causing explosion of the gas cylinder of the microbus. Both the microbus and the human hauler were completely burnt in the razing fire of the gas cylinder explosion.
He further said that the microbus was carrying 13 persons of four families. All of them were killed in the accident. However, four more passengers of the bus were also killed. Of the victims, six persons were declared dead after they were carried to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital while the bodies of 11 persons were recovered from inside the microbus.
RMP Commissioner Md Abul Kalam Siddique and other high officials of police and Fire Service personnel visited the spot. Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rajshahi Abdul Jalil visited the RMCH following the road accident. He said that Tk 20,000 to be provided to each family of the deceased for burial process.
