At least 13 people, including 12 members of a family, have been killed in a head-on collision between a Bangladesh Navy bus and a passenger microbus on the Mongla-Khulna highway.
The accident occurred at approximately 3pm on Thursday in the Belai Bridge area. According to Md Zafar Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Katakhali Highway Police Station, a microbus travelling from Koyra towards Mongla collided with a Navy bus heading from Mongla.
The impact left the microbus severely mangled. Seven people, including two children from the same family, died on the spot. A further six individuals succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Dr Mehnaj Mosharraf, from the emergency department of Khulna Medical College Hospital, confirmed that the bodies of seven members of a single family were initially received.
These included three women, two infants under the age of one, a 13-year-old child, and three men.
According to family members, those killed include Abdur Razzak, president of WWard No 8 of Mongla Municipality BNP, his four sons, three daughters-in-law (One of whom had been married earlier that day) and three grandchildren, bringing the number of victims from the same family to 11.
The other victims include the microbus driver and a relative of the newlywed bride, relatives said.
Of the bodies recovered, nine have been kept at Khulna Medical College Hospital while four others are at the Rampal Upazila Health Complex.
The victims included members of Abdur Razzak’s family and relatives of his son Sabbir’s new bride. It was learnt that the family had travelled to Koyra upazila on Wednesday to bring the new bride home.
The tragedy struck while they were returning to Mongla after staying overnight in Koyra.
Nisarul Islam, the brother-in-law of the deceased Abdur Razzak, stated that his sister (Razzak’s wife) did not accompany the group and is now ill following the news of her family’s death.
He confirmed that Razzak, along with his four sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren, had all gone to Khulna for the wedding proceedings.
Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Golam Mohammad Baten and police official Hasan Chowdhury on Thursday visited the site and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
They also assured that the government would extend all possible assistance to the victims’ relatives.
