Staff Reporter :At least 35 people were killed and over 50 others injured as two buses collided head-on in Boraigram upazila of Natore on Monday afternoon.Among the victims 18 persons have so far been identified.They are: Awami League leader Jamal Hossain, 40, his daughter Jannati, 5, Alaluddin of Bajitpur village, Atika Begum of Shongrampur village, Krishnapado Sarkar, 55, of Khoksha village, Jan Muhammad, 48, of Indrapara village, Ebad Ali, 45, Sharifuddin, 30, Labu, 35, Alal, 55, Shohrab Hossain, 35, Aynal Haque, 35, Robbel Ali, 45 and Atahar Ali 50, of Shidhuli village in Gurudashpur upazila, Babul, 40 and Abdul Awal, 30 of Brichapila village, Mohona Khatun, 5, daughter of Abu Sayed of Teltupi village, and Othoi Paribahan driver Alam Hossain, 40.Identities of other victims could not be known immediately.The critically injured were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Rajshahi Medical Hospital, Natore Sadar Hospital, Boraigram Upazila Health complex and Bonpara Amina Hospital Ltd, reports our Natore correspondent. “The death toll from the accident has risen to 35 and 18 of the bodies have already been handed over to their families,” Basudev Banik, Superintendent of Police in Natore, told The New Nation.He said a Natore-bound bus of Keya Paribahan from Dhaka collided head-on with a Gurudaspur-bound local bus of Othoi Paribahan at around 3:30pm. “After the collision, the inter-city bus fell into a roadside ditch while the local bus was totally smashed, leaving 22 people dead on the spot while the rest succumbed to their injuries at different hospitals,” said Basudev Banik.When asked, he said, the main cause of the accident was reckless driving of the bus of Keya Paribahan. The driver was driving on high speed and trying to overtake other vehicles plying on the road when the accident took place.Among the deceased, 11 persons were returning to their homes after appearing to a court in connection with a murder case, he said.The injured were sent to different hospitals for treatment. The death toll could rise further as many of the injured were in critical condition, he added.The vehicular movement on the road was halted for three hours following the accident. Later, the traffic movement became normal at around 6:30pm.The district administration has formed a three-member probe body led by Additional District Magistrate Moahmmad Ali to investigate the incident, said Natore Deputy Commissioner Mohosinur Rahman.
