Three people were killed and at least 30 others sustained severe injuries after a long-distance passenger coach veered off the carriageway and plunged into a deep roadside ditch in Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj on Sunday morning.
The fatal crash occurred at approximately 10:45 am on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway near the Gerakhola Bridge approach. Emergency service officials confirmed that 12 of the injured were admitted to the local upazila health complex in extremely critical condition, raising serious fears among attending medical staff that the overall death toll could rise further over the coming hours. Law enforcement officers and rescue teams working on the scene have not yet been able to establish the official identities of the three deceased passengers.
According to preliminary police reports and accounts provided by surviving passengers, the vehicle—a passenger bus operated by Tungipara Express—was traveling toward the capital city of Dhaka after departing from Khulna earlier in the morning. As the coach approached the Gerakhola Bridge section of the highway, the driver suddenly lost control of the steering wheel. The vehicle swerved violently off the main tarmac and tumbled down the steep embankment adjacent to the bridge structure. The impact crushed the metal body of the bus, trapping dozens of helpless passengers inside the mangled steel structure.
Upon receiving urgent notifications from eyewitnesses, officers from the Bhanga Highway Police Station alongside firefighter units from the Fire Service and Civil Defence swiftly rushed to the location to initiate a comprehensive search and rescue operation. Emergency personnel worked alongside helpful local residents to cut through the twisted metal framing, successfully extracting the trapped victims from the wreckage. Ambulances subsequently transported all wounded individuals directly to the Muksudpur Upazila Health Complex for immediate emergency treatment and medical triage.
Confirming the details of the tragedy, Sergeant Md Azadur Rahman of the Bhanga Highway Police Station stated that three individuals suffered fatal injuries and died instantly at the scene of the crash. Highway police units remain present at the location to clear the destroyed vehicle, facilitate the smooth flow of vehicular traffic along the highway, and assist local hospital authorities in identifying the deceased victims.
