2 tourists die, 11 injured as jeep plunges into ditch in Bandarban
A jeep, with a group of female tourists on-board, has plunged into a hillside ditch along the Ruma-Boga Lake-Keokradong road in Bandarban, leaving two dead and 11 injured.
They were returning from Keokradong after enjoying scenic beauty of the hill under the arrangement of an orgainsation called Narir Chokhe Bishwo. Two of the injured are in a critical stage now.
One of the deceased – Feroza Begum, 53 – is the mother-in-law of Prothom Alo sub-editor Sajib Miya, while the other – Jaynab Khatun, 24 – is a criminology department student of Dhaka University.
Syed Mahbubul Haque, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Ruma upazila, told Prothom Alo from the spot that the jeep fell into a 500-meter-deep ditch after the driver lost his control over the steering.
A team of 57 tourists went to Keokradong from Boga Lake in the morning, on four jeeps. The accident took place between Darjeeling Para and Rumsong Para when they were returning from Keokradong.
There were 13 tourists in total in the jeep. The injured are – Rafan, Ushoshi Nag, Joba Roy Nag, Mahfuza Islam, Amena Begum, Tahmina Tanjim Talukder, Tannim, Rizvi, Anjuman Haque, Itu, and Shorna.
Members of the fire service and the army rescued the victims and took them to the upazila health complex in Ruma. The driver has been at large since the incident.
Mua Thang Bom, a tourist guide, said the tourists were returning from the Keokradong when the jeep plunged into the ditch and overturned. Locals and fellow tourists initially tried to rescue the victims.
According to the upazila administration and locals, a team of 57 tourists went to Keokradong from Boga Lake in the morning, on four jeeps, locally known as Chander Gari. The accident took place between Darjeeling Para and Rumsong Para when they were returning from Keokradong.
Other tourists and locals initially tried to rescue the victims. Later, Bangladesh Army, Fire Service, and upazila administration conducted rescue drives there.
Abdullah Al Hasan, upazila health and family planning officer, said two tourists were taken to the sadar hospital after death. The injured also were taken there, but two of them are in critical health conditions.