Five Bangladeshi nationals were killed and two others were seriously injured in a road accident in South Africa, according to media reports that cited a Foreign Ministry official yesterday.
The deceased are Ismail Hossain, 32, son of Shariatullah of Birali village at Panchgachhia union under Feni Sadar upazila, Razu Ahmed, 34, of Dakkhin Neyazpur village under Daganbhuyian upazila, Md Mustafa, 40, of Momarijpur at Matubhuiyan union under Daganbhuyian upazila, Abul Hosain, 45, and Nadim Hossain, 10, of Char Majlishpur under Sonagazi upazila.
The injured are Anisul Haque of Daganbhuyian upazila and Nahid of Dhaka.
Md Tarikul Islam, director general (Africa Wing) at the ministry, confirmed the matter, quoting the Bangladesh Mission in South Africa.
The accident occurred at Beaufort West, a town in the Western Cape province and 1,000km off from the capital city of Pretoria.
A lorry crushed the vehicle that was carrying the victims bound for Cape Town from Pretoria, the official concluded, without giving further details.
Mizanur Rahman, brother of Ismail Hossain, said seven expatriates including his brother were going from South Africa's Aberdeen to the French Embassy in Cape Town. On the way, they met with an accident and their vehicle was crushed under a moving lorry around 9am (Bangladesh time), he added.
Md Zakir Hasan, superintendent of Feni Police, said police went to the house of the deceased and talked to their family members. He also prayed for the souls of those killed in the tragic road accident and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
Deputy Commissioner of Feni Abu Salim Mahmud-Ul Hasan said that he visited the houses of the victims soon after being informed and instructed the upazila executive officers to stand by their families.
