Two people were killed and another was seriously injured when a Shyamoli Paribahan bus collided with a pedal-powered van in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia on Thursday morning.
The deceased were identified as Bhanu Khatun, 55, a passenger on the van, and Kamrul Islam, 35, its driver. Bhanu died at the scene, while Kamrul, who sustained critical injuries in the crash, died later while receiving treatment at hospital.
The accident took place at around 10.30am in front of Sadarpur Siddiqiya Dakhil Madrasa in Sadarpur Union. According to Sheikh Mahyuddin Ahmed, superintendent of the madrasa, the van was travelling towards Khalishakundi when its axle rod suddenly broke.
The mechanical failure caused the van to fall onto the road. A Shyamoli Paribahan bus travelling behind it then struck the van. The impact left Bhanu critically injured, and she died at the scene.
Kamrul was also seriously injured in the collision. He was taken to hospital for treatment but later died while undergoing medical care. Another person injured in the accident remains in hospital in a serious condition.
Bhanu Khatun was the wife of Hashem Ali and lived in the Swastipur area of Vadalia in Kushtia Sadar upazila. Her family said she had travelled to her daughter’s in-laws’ home in Nowda Azampur, in Sadarpur Union of Mirpur, several days before the crash.
On Thursday morning, she was travelling with her son-in-law in the pedal-powered van towards Khalishakundi market. The pair were reportedly heading to the market to have a refrigerator repaired.
The journey ended abruptly when the van suffered the mechanical failure near the madrasa. The resulting collision with the bus caused the deaths of both Bhanu and Kamrul.
Mohammad Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, confirmed the deaths. He said police recovered the bodies from the accident scene and sent them to the mortuary at Kushtia General Hospital for post-mortem examinations.
The initial account indicates that the van’s axle rod broke while it was travelling along the road, leaving the vehicle on the carriageway before it was struck from behind by the bus. No further details about the circumstances of the bus driver’s actions or the condition of the vehicles were immediately available.
The accident also left another person seriously injured, adding to the severity of the incident. Police have taken the bodies into custody as part of the post-mortem process, while further legal procedures are expected to follow.
The deaths have left the families of the two victims grieving. Bhanu had been visiting her daughter’s in-laws and was travelling to a nearby market for a practical errand when the crash occurred. Kamrul, who was driving the van, also lost his life after being taken to hospital for treatment.
