At least seven people were killed and four others were injured as a microbus carrying family members of an expatriate plunged into a roadside canal in Begumganj upazila of Noakhali early on Wednesday.
Two of the deceased were Oman-based expatriate Bahar Uddin’s wife Kabita and his daughter Mim, residents of Chopalli village under Hajjirpara in Lakshmipur, said Farid Uddin, assistant director of Noakhali Fire Service.
Talha Bin Zashim, officer (media) at Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, said the accident occurred around 5:40am when the microbus driver lost control of the vehicle on the Noakhali-Lakshmipur regional road in the Jagadishpur area and fell into the Wapda canal in Chandraganj Dakshin Bazar of the upazila.
The accident left at least seven people dead on the spot and four injured, he said.
On receiving the information, one firefighting unit from Chowmuhuni Fire Station rushed to the scene around 6:05am and carried out a rescue operation, added the official.
Later, another unit from Majidee Bazar joined the rescue operation and sent the casualties to hospitals, said Fire Service official Farid.
Quoting relatives, he said, Bahar returned home from Oman on Tuesday night and that his family members went to Dhaka to receive him and were returning in the microbus.
"All the victims were from the same family," he said.