At least three people were killed and 10 others critically injured in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and an ambulance on the Dhaka-Pabna highway at Ataikula Police Station area in Pabna district.
The accident happened around 7:30am on Thursday (July 16) at Saradangi area of Ataikula.
The deceased were Solim Pramanik, 65, ambulance passenger Bulu Khatun, 55, wife of Solim Pramanik from Mahmudpur village in Santhia upazila and ambulance driver Raj Sheikh, 30, who was a resident of Uttar Shalgaria area in Pabna town.
Confirming the matter, Pabna's Madhabpur Police Station's officer-in-charge (OC) Mahbubur Rahman said the relatives were returning to Santhia with the dead body of a child from Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. When they reached at Saradangi area, the ambulance collided head-on with a Dhaka-bound speeding passenger bus, belonging to 'Pabna Express', which was coming from the opposite direction.
Due to the severe impact of the collision, the ambulance was completely crushed, and three people, including the driver, died on the spot.
Following the accident, local residents and fire service personnel rushed to the spot to rescue the victims.
The injured were rescued and immediately admitted to Pabna General Hospital. Since the condition of some was critical, they were referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
Madhpur Highway Police and Ataikula Police seized both the bus and the ambulance from the spot and took them to the police station. The bus driver fled after the accident, however, traffic on the highway is currently normal.
END/CORRESPONDENT/ASA
