Bangladesh: 17 killed, over a dozen injured in road accident in Jhalakathi district

Bangladesh: In an unfortunate incident, at least 17 people lost their lives as the bus they were travelling in veered off the road and rolled into a large roadside pond in southwestern Bangladesh on Saturday. As per the police, more than a dozen are reported injured in the road accident that took place in the Jhalakathi district. Officials said that the passenger bus carrying over 60 passengers was on its way to Barishal from the Bhandari sub-district. 

Police crane is trying to retrieve the bus

The accident occurred after the driver lost control of the wheel. “The divers have rescued 17 bodies and a police crane is trying to retrieve the bus from the pond filled with water after heavy monsoon rains,” a police officer told reporters. Police sub-inspector Gautamm Kumar Ghose said the dead included eight women and three children. 

More bodies are feared to be trapped inside the bus. As of now, twenty other injured passengers are being treated at Jhalakathi’s main state-run hospital. It is believed that 65 passengers were inside the bus.

The driver was not attentive while driving

“I was sitting just beside the driver’s seat. The driver apparently was not careful or attentive while driving the bus,” said Russell Mollah, a 35-year passenger who was injured in the accident. He further alleged that the driver was constantly talking to his assistant and asking him to get more passengers on board.

Mollah lost his 75-year-old father in the accident while his elder brother is still missing. “The stomachs of patients we are treating contain excessive water as the bus plunged into the pond,” said a doctor at the health facility.

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