STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Chattogram

At least five people were killed and around 12 injured after a bus rear ended a dump truck on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway and plunged into a roadside ditch in Sitakunda upazila yesterday evening.

The identities of the deceased, all male passengers of the bus, could not be known immediately, said police.

Police and fire service officials said the incident took place at the upazila’s Bottola area of the highway at 5:55pm.

Highway Police (Cumilla region) Additional Superintendent of Police Kirtiman Chakma told The Daily Star, “A Chattogram-bound bus of CDM Paribahan hit a dump truck from behind on the highway after the driver lost control over the vehicle. The bus plunged into a roadside ditch, killing four on the spot.”

Sitakunda Fire Service Senior Station Officer Belal Hossain said, “Firefighters rushed to the spot and recovered four bodies from the bus. Two were sent to the upazila health complex in critical condition.”

Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex’s doctor Altaf Hossain told reporters, “On-duty doctors declared one-person death after he was brought to the hospital in critical condition. Two were sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for better treatment. Apart from that around 15 were given primary treatment.”

In a Facebook video, it was seen that four bodies were kept in body bags on the street after being recovered from the bus wreckage. The front part of the bus was totalled.

Kumira Highway Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Zakir Rabbani said the bus driver tried to overtake the dump truck but lost control, hitting the truck from behind.

“Legal action will be taken in this regard and the bodies will be handed over to the victims’ families after confirming their identities,” he added.