At least three people, including two school-going siblings, were killed as a speeding bus collided with a battery-run auto-rickshaw at Chandanaish upazila in Chattogram on Thursday morning.
The deceased are Ruhul Amin, 45, the auto-rickshaw driver, and the two siblings Rizki Akter, 16, and her younger brother Wakar Uddin Adim, 12.
Besides, another student, Tushin Akter, 16, sustained severe injuries.聽聽
The accident took place at around 9:00am at the entrance to Dohazari Railway Station along the Chattogram-Cox鈥檚 Bazar Highway.
Following the incident, outraged students and locals blocked the highway in protest.聽
According to highway police, all the victims were residents of Jamijuri village under Chandanaish upazila.
Rizki and the injured Tushin were Class IX students at Pathshala Public School and College, while Wakar was a Class VII student at the same institution.聽
鈥楢 Purabi Paribahan bus travelling from Cox鈥檚 Bazar to Chattogram city collided head-on with the auto-rickshaw, killing two passengers on the spot,鈥� inspector Shubharanjan Chakma, in-charge of Dohazari highway police station said, adding that the auto-rickshaw driver succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the hospital.
He said that the injured, Tushin Akter, was initially given first aid at Dohazari Health Complex before being transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for better treatment.
Following the incident, enraged classmates of the deceased and local residents blocked the highway and vandalised the bus, the inspector added.
鈥楾he blockade disrupted traffic for about 30 minutes on the road and the situation was brought under control after the army arrived,鈥� inspector Shubharanjan Chakma said, adding that the driver and assistant have fled the scene.