Three people were killed and seven others injured when a bus collided head-on with a Nasimon, a locally used three-wheeled transport vehicle, in Gurudaspur upazila of Natore on Saturday morning.
The accident occurred at around 9am in the Naya Bazar area of the Bonpara-Hatikumrul highway, according to police. The collision left several passengers injured, with some reportedly in critical condition.
The deceased were identified as Abdur Rahman, 70, from Laxmikol neighbourhood in the municipal area of Baraigram upazila; Akkas Ali, 59, from Dhamania neighbourhood of the same upazila; and his younger brother Jahangir Hossain, 47.
Police said the Nasimon was carrying cattle and was travelling from the Bonpara area towards the Chandaikona cattle market. As it reached the Naya Bazar area, it collided with a passenger bus travelling in the opposite direction from Dhaka. The impact was severe, causing casualties among those travelling in the Nasimon.
Abdur Rahman died at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash. Akkas Ali and Jahangir Hossain were taken to hospitals for treatment but later succumbed to their injuries. Akkas was receiving treatment at Baraigram Hospital, while Jahangir was taken to Rajshahi College Hospital, where he subsequently died.
The seven injured people were taken to hospitals in Gurudaspur and Baraigram. Hospital sources said some of those admitted were in a serious condition and required close medical attention.
Mohammad Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Bonpara Highway Police Station, confirmed that three people had died in the accident. He said the injured were receiving treatment at different hospitals and that legal procedures were being initiated in connection with the crash.
The collision also disrupted traffic on the busy Bonpara-Hatikumrul highway for some time. Vehicles were temporarily slowed as police and others worked at the scene and dealt with the damaged vehicles. Traffic movement later returned to normal.
The accident once again highlights the risks faced by passengers using local three-wheeled vehicles on major highways, where they frequently share road space with large buses and heavy vehicles travelling at considerably higher speeds. Such mixed traffic can increase the severity of collisions, particularly when vehicles approach each other on busy sections of major roads.
Police said further details would emerge as the investigation into the circumstances of the crash progresses.
