Excursion bus overturns on way to Cox’s Bazar, killing two, including teacher

A bus carrying students, teachers and guardians from Chattogram to Cox’s Bazar for an educational tour overturned after the driver lost control in Satkania, Chattogram.

Two people, including a madrasa teacher, died in the accident. At least 20 students, teachers and guardians sustained injuries.

The accident occurred at around 4:00 am on Saturday on the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar Highway, near Khuni Bottola in the Keranihat area, close to the railway crossing in the upazila.

The deceased were identified as Sohana Afroze, 45, a lecturer in the Economics Department at Bakshimool Sunnia Islamia Madrasah in Burichang upazila of Cumilla and Sakhawat Hossain, 56. His wife, Nadera Afroze, is a lecturer in the Bengali Department at the same madrasah.

Police said more than 100 students, teachers, staff members and guardians left the madrasah for Cox’s Bazar in two buses at around 10:00 pm on Friday.

At around 4:00 am, the bus travelling behind reached the Keranihat area, lost control and plunged into a ditch on the western side of the highway. Around 50 people were on board.

Local residents, fire service personnel and police later rescued the injured and took them to various hospitals in the upazila. Physicians in the emergency departments declared two people dead.

Officer-in-Charge of Dohazari Highway police station Md Nurul Absar told Prothom Alo, “We suspect that the bus lost control because of excessive speed and the driver falling asleep at the wheel. The bodies of the two deceased and the accident-damaged bus are currently in police custody. We will take legal action over the incident.”