Three students of Gazipur's Islamic University of Technology (IUT) have died after their picnic bus came into contact with a high-voltage power line in Sreepur, report agencies.
At least ten others were injured in the incident that occurred around 10:30am on Saturday in Udaykhali village near a local Chinese factory, said Joynal Abedin Mandal, chief of Sreepur Police Station.
The dead are Mozammel Hossain Nayeem (24), Mostakim Rahman Mahin (22) and Zubayer Alam Saqib (22), all third-year mechanical engineering students of IUT located in Gazipur's Board Bazar area.
The identities of the injured have not yet been confirmed.
Local resident Afsar Uddin aged 70 said 460 students from IUT had set out on a picnic to the Matir Maya Eco Resort in Uttar Pelaid village using six double-decker buses and three microbuses. The buses were travelling from the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway to the resort via a rural road.
"Tragedy struck when one of the buses, upon reaching Udaykhali village, came into contact with a high-voltage line running alongside the road. Three students were electrocuted and died on the spot," he said.
He added that the injured suffered severe burns, with some sustaining injuries to their hands, faces, or legs.
Witnesses Shamim Ahmed, Rubel Mia, and Zakir Hossain said five of the buses had safely reached the resort. However, the last bus touched the high-voltage line, electrocuting the entire vehicle. Smoke started billowing from the bus as students inside screamed for help.
They rushed to the scene, where three students attempted to exit the bus but collapsed. The witnesses used dry bamboo sticks to remove the students' bodies from the bus.
"When the bus became electrified, we immediately contacted the power office to cut the electrical connection. They promptly disconnected the line, preventing further casualties," one of the witnesses said.
Khandaker Mahmudul Hasan, deputy general manager of Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samity-2, confirmed the line carried 11,000 volts of electricity.
"The accident occurred when the double-decker bus tilted slightly while giving way to another vehicle, touching the high-voltage line," he said.
OC Joynal said the injured were taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Dr Zakiul Islam, deputy director of the hospital, said: "Three students were brought dead to the emergency department. We are still working to confirm the exact number of injured."
