At least six people were killed and five others injured in a severe road accident in Madaripur on Sunday evening.
The incident took place when a passenger bus collided head-on with an e-rickshaw on the Dhaka-Barishal highway near Mustafapur Mill Gate area around 5:30 PM.
Among the deceased were Rumon, son of Shah Alam from Ghotokchar village in Kendua Union, Madaripur Sadar and Pannu Munshi, a resident of College Road, Madaripur town.
The identities of the other four victims have not been confirmed yet.
According to locals, the bus was travelling from Madaripur to Dhaka when it hit the e-rickshaw, crushing it completely and causing the bus to fall into a roadside ditch.
Three people died on the spot, while the bodies of the remaining three were recovered later. Several others were injured in the accident and were taken to Madaripur General Hospital for treatment.
Madaripur Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Shafiqul Islam said that a rescue team recovered the first three bodies immediately after arriving at the scene.
After about 90 minutes of rescue efforts, they recovered three more bodies trapped under the bus, bringing the total death toll to six. Rescue operations are still ongoing.
Confirming the incident, Madaripur Police Station officer-in-charge Abul Kalam Azad said that police are working to clear the bus from the site.
Traffic on the highway was temporarily halted but later resumed with the help of fire service and police, the OC added.
AHS/NSA
