17 killed as bus falls into water body in Jhalakathi

At least 17 people were killed as a bus fell into a water body near the Dhansiri union parishad in Jhalakathi Sadar upazila. The accident occurred at around 10:30 am on Saturday.

Jhalakathi Sadar police station’s sub-inspector (SI) Gautam Kumar confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.

Out of the 17 bodies recovered, eight are women, six are men and three are children.

According to the police and eyewitnesses, a bus carrying 65 passengers from Bhandaria in Pirojpur was going towards Barishal. At around 10:30 am, the bus lost control and fell into a pond near the Dhansiri union parishad in Jhalakathi Sadar upazila on the Khulna-Barishal regional highway.

Members of police and Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot upon receiving the news and recovered 17 bodies from there. Besides, they rescued at least 25 injured people from the spot. The bodies have been sent to the Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital.

Identities of the deceased could not be confirmed immediately.