5 killed as bus rams into roadside crowd in Faridpur; locals block highway
The accident occurred while locals were gathered beside the road during a rescue operation after a pickup van had fallen off the road earlier in the day in Faridpur’s Bhanga.
Five people were killed and at least 15 others injured after a passenger bus rammed into a group of people gathered beside the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Faridpur's Bhanga upazila this afternoon (11 July).
Following the accident, locals blocked the highway and set fire to the bus in protest, bringing traffic movement to a halt. The identities of the deceased and injured could not be confirmed immediately.
Md Abdul Alim, officer-in-charge of Bhanga Highway Police Station, confirmed the incident saying the accident occurred in the upazila's Swayadi area when a Narail Express bus travelling from Dhaka to Khulna hit people who had gathered beside the road during a rescue operation.
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Earlier in the day, an egg-carrying pickup van had fallen off the road in the area. Locals gathered there while a rescue operation was underway, and the bus hit the crowd during that time, leaving five people dead on the spot and at least 15 others injured.
The injured were rescued and taken to different hospitals for treatment, the OC said.
Police, highway police and fire service personnel launched rescue operations and were working to bring the situation under control.
"Police are working to clear the highway and restore traffic movement," the OC added.
The blockade was continuing till the filing of this report at 8:30pm.
