Teen among 3 killed in Kushtia road accident

Three people were killed and at least 20 others were injured after a bus collided head-on with a dump truck in Kushtia this morning (23 May).

One of the deceased was Rafiya, 15, a schoolgirl from Philipnagor union of Daulatpur upazila. The identities of the two other deceased men were not immediately known.

According to police and local witnesses, the bus was carrying nearly 50 passengers, travelling from Rajbari towards Kushtia. 

When the bus driver attempted to avoid a roadside van, the vehicle collided with a truck carrying sand coming from the opposite direction on the Kushtia–Rajbari highway near the Shimulia area of Khoksa upazila.

The truck also appeared to be travelling at high speed before the accident, they added. 

Following the impact, the bus lost control and plunged into a roadside ditch.

]Abu Obayed, officer-in-charge of Kushtia Highway Police Station, said locals rushed to the scene and began rescue efforts immediately. 

The injured were taken to Khoksa Upazila Health Complex, where doctors pronounced two passengers dead on arrival, he added.

A third victim, Rafiya, later died while being transferred to Kushtia General Hospital. 

Khoksa Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Md Ariful Haque said, “Twenty injured passengers received treatment at the local health complex. Four of them, who were critically injured, have been transferred to Kushtia General Hospital for advanced treatment.”

Iqbal Hasan, resident medical officer at Kushtia General Hospital, said the four critically injured patients are under close observation.

Altab Hossain, acting station officer of Khoksa Fire Service, said that firefighters, police and local residents carried out a joint rescue operation following the accident.