Five of a family among 13 dead in Faridpur accident

* Police, BRTA can't avoid responsibility: Nat'l Committee * Five member probe body formed

FE Team | Published: April 16, 2024 23:54:41

A pickup gets mangled after a head-on collision with a passenger bus in the Kanaipur neighbourhood of Faridpur on Tuesday morning. — Focus Bangla

FARIDPUR, Apr 16 (UNB): At least 13 people were dead and 15 others were injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a pickup van on the Dhaka-Khulna highway at Sadar upazila in Faridpur district this morning.
All the victims were passengers of the pickup van, and five of them were from the same family.
Some of the deceased were identified as Rafiq Mollah, 35, his wife Sumi Begum, 23, his sons Ruhan Mollah, 6, and Habib Mollah, 3, and Rafiq's mother. Rafiq worked as a liftman at a government office in Dhaka. After the Eid holidays, he was returning to Dhaka with his family.
Md Hasanuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Faridpur Sadar Kotwali Police Station, confirmed the matter.
The accident happened when the Magura-bound bus of Unique Paribahan from Dhaka collided with the Dhaka-bound pickup van.
Eleven people died on the spot, and two died after being taken to the hospital. The injured were taken to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College (BSMMC) in Faridpur.
On information, locals, fire service, highway police, and district police rushed to the spot and conducted rescue operations, said the OC.
Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Kamrul Ahsan Talukder said, "We have rushed to the spot after receiving the news. A five-member team, headed by the additional district magistrate, has been formed to investigate the incident. An ex-gratia of Tk 0.5 million has been announced for the next of kin of the deceased and Tk 0.3 million for the injured."
Meanwhile, National Committee to protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) said the authorities concerned including police and BRTA can't avoid responsibility for the Faridpur road crash that claimed lives of 13 people on Tuesday.
Condemning the authorities' negligence, the NCPSRR said although carrying passengers on trucks, pick-up vans and good- laden vehicles is prohibited the vehicle was heading towards Dhaka from Faridpur's Boalmari with 25-30 passengers on board. It also demanded compensation for the family members of the deceased and better treatment to the victims injured in the accident and their rehabilitation after treatment.