Staff Reporter :
At least 11 people were killed and twenty others injured when a passenger bus rammed a roadside tree in Ujirpur upazila of Barishal.
The tragic fatal incident occurred in Bamrail area of the upazila on the Barishal-Dhaka highway around 5:30 am on Sunday.
The identities of eight are Arafat Hossain Hawladar (9), son of one Monir Hossain Hawladar of Neyari area from Jhalokati Sadar, Nazrul Islam Akon (35), son of one Quddus Akon from Mathbaria upazila of Pirojpur, his brother Shakib, wife of Nazrul Akon, Tajanahar Begum (20), Halim Mia (31), son of one Ali Bepari, helper of the bus Sentu Mollah (50), Ramzan Hawlader, son of one late Abul Kasem Hawlader, Madhab Sheel (45), son of one Monoranjan Sheel, and Reza, son of Tajem Ali Chowkidar from Mir Hawla village in Fuljhuri union of Bamna upazila of Barguna.
Talking to the passengers and eyewitnesses of the bus, it was learned that the driver of the passenger bus of Jamuna Paribahan fell asleep and lost control and the bus met with an accident at Wazirpur in Barishal on Sunday morning. It killed 11 people. According to several people, when the bus driver fell asleep, the bus went to the side of the road and collided with the mahogany tree and the bus twisted.
According to the fire service, 11 people were killed in Barisal’s Wazirpur when the speed of the vehicle was reckless and the driver was sleeping. Belal Uddin, Deputy Director of the Barisal Fire Service, confirmed the matter to the media on Sunday noon. He said it was initially thought that the driver had fallen asleep. At that time the speed of the bus was also reckless. The driver might have been tired from driving long distances, he added.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ujirpur police station Ali Arshad said a bus of Jamuna Line paribahan was heading towards Vandaria area with passengers. The driver of the bus lost his control over the steering and hit a roadside tree when the bus reached Bamrail area, leaving ten people dead on the spot and 20 others injured.
The injured have been sent to Barisal Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital.
Being informed, two firefighting units rushed to the spot and started rescue operation, Barisal fire service unit leader Md Jahangir said. It is mentionable that most of the long route bus drivers don’t get enough time for rest when they reached the destination. Even drivers were forced to leave the stations for another trip without taking enough rest.
