One killed as 10 vehicles collide in 4 accidents on Mawa expressway

Four separate accidents have taken place on the Dhaka-Mawa expressway in Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj this morning, resulting in at least one death and injuries to 15 people.

The accidents took place within half an hour from 8:00 am to 8:30 am on Sunday, when some 10 vehicles clashed due to low visibility amid dense fog, according to Fire Service officials. 

The deceased is Farhad Hossain, 40, a resident of Bhanga in Faridpur and the driver of one of the colliding buses. Among the injured, one has been identified as Zakir Hossain, 32, a resident of Noakhali and driver's assistant on a bus. 

According to local sources, heavy fog blanketed the expressway in the morning, reducing visibility to an alarming extent. It led to the accidents over a stretch of around four kilometers between Sholaghar and Hasara on the Mawa-bound lane.

Dewan Azad, a fire service official from Sreenagar, said the vehicles, including passenger buses, trucks, pick up vans, and covered vans, collided at four spots between Sholaghar and Hasara. Some collided with others from behind, while some crashed into road dividers amid dense fog. 

Around 15 people suffered injuries in the accidents, he said, adding firefighters are working to rescue the victims. 

Meanwhile, a 7-8 kilometer traffic gridlock was created on the expressway due to these accidents. 

Marzia Mahbub, an emergency ward physician of Sreenagar upazila health complex, told Prohtom Alo around 9:45 am that two injured – Farhad Hossain and Zakir Hossain – were taken to the hospital. 

Zakir was bleeding but was in a relatively better condition, while Farhad complained of pain in abdomen. Preparations were made to transfer them to Dhaka after first aid, but Farhad died before undergoing an X-ray there, she added.