Four people were killed and five others injured after a bus collided head-on with a leguna (Mahindra) in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Thursday morning.
The accident occurred around 6:30am near the Baitul Mamur Jame Mosque area in Nayapara of Khutakhali Union on the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar Highway, said SI Mohammad Shamsuzzaman of Malumghat Highway Police Station.
The deceased were identified as Mohammad Jasim Uddin, of Segunbagicha village in Khutakhali; Mohammad Shahed, of Fulchhari Shiapara; Mohammad Rafique, of West Gajalia village in Eidgaon; and Mohammad Ziaul Haque, of Notun Office area in the same upazila.
Shahed, Rafique and Ziaul died while undergoing treatment at Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital, while Jasim died at Malumghat Christian Memorial Hospital in the afternoon.
The injured are Syed Alam, his son Mohammad Sarwar, Ziaul Haque, Mohammad Delwar Hossain, and Syed Karim. They were taken to the two hospitals for treatment. Three of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
According to police and local residents, a Lal Shobuj Paribahan bus was travelling to Cox’s Bazar from Noakhali Sadar, while the leguna was carrying passengers from Eidgaon to Chakaria. The vehicles collided head-on after reaching Nayapara in Khutakhali.
The impact left the leguna badly mangled. Locals rescued the injured and took them to nearby hospitals.
SI Shamsuzzaman said the accident occurred amid heavy rain early in the morning. Police later used a crane to remove the damaged vehicles from the highway, and traffic returned to normal about an hour later.
Police said legal procedures would be completed before the bodies are handed over to the victims’ families.
