Three Killed, 15 Injured in Chandpur Bus-Truck Collision

Three people were killed and at least 15 others injured when a passenger bus collided head-on with a sand-laden dump truck in Shahrashti upazila of Chandpur on Tuesday morning.

The accident occurred at around 8am in the Baniyacho area along the Chandpur-Comilla regional highway. The collision caused the bus to crumple badly, leaving several people trapped inside and prompting an emergency rescue operation.

According to eyewitnesses and Fire Service officials, the crash involved a sand-carrying dump truck travelling towards Comilla and an Al-Arafa bus travelling from Dinajpur towards Hajiganj. The two vehicles collided head-on, causing extensive damage to the bus.

The deceased were identified as dump truck driver Abdul Wahab, 40, bus driver Kamal, 35, from Gaibandha, and bus driver’s assistant Shovon, 30, from Bagerhat. All three died at the scene from injuries sustained in the collision.

After receiving information about the crash, a rescue team from Shahrashti Fire Service rushed to the site. Firefighters worked for nearly an hour to remove the injured and recover those trapped in the damaged vehicles. The severity of the collision made the rescue operation particularly challenging.

At least 15 people were injured in the accident. Many of the injured travelled to Comilla Medical College Hospital with assistance from local residents, while three seriously injured victims were initially taken to Shahrashti Upazila Health Complex by Fire Service personnel.

Doctors at the health complex said the three critically injured patients had suffered significant blood loss. Given the seriousness of their condition, they were referred to Comilla Medical College Hospital for specialised treatment.

Aklima Jahan, an official at Shahrashti Upazila Health Complex, said the injured patients were in a critical condition because of heavy blood loss and required more advanced medical care.

The collision has once again highlighted the risks faced by passengers and road users on regional highways, where buses, heavy goods vehicles and other traffic frequently share relatively busy routes. Head-on collisions are particularly dangerous because of the force generated when two vehicles travelling in opposite directions strike each other.

Shahrashti police took the bodies of the three deceased to the police station following the accident. Officer-in-Charge Mir Mahbubur Rahman said police had seized both the bus and the dump truck after the crash.

The authorities are expected to follow standard procedures to establish how the collision occurred. Details regarding the precise circumstances leading to the crash were not immediately available.