Bus crash kills 12 college teachers, students in Bangladesh

by Sanjay Jha | February 13, 2009 at 02:30 am

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Latest reports coming from Bangladesh says that at least 12 college students and teachers returning from a picnic were killed as a bus carrying them fell into a 300-feet gorge in southeastern Bangladesh.

At least nine people were killed and over 35 were injured when a bus carrying students of Chittagong Government College on a picnic fell into a ditch beside Bandarban-Chittagong Highway in Bandarban yesterday.

The report on casualties remain scrappy as there were no less than five people still trapped inside the wreck late last night.

"The possibility of the trapped students surviving is small," Additional District Magistrate of Bandarban Mahbub Karim told The Daily Star.

Eight of the deceased were identified as Hasan, Farzana, Ovi, Munni, Nipa, guardian Siddiqur Rahman, Dilwara Begum and Kapil Barua. The identity of the other person could not be confirmed.

Members of armed forces, police and firemen said they with the help of locals rescued over 35 people, our correspondent in Bandarban reports.

Nineteen of the critically injured were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) while 20 others to Bandarban Sadar Hospital.

Dilwara Begum and Kapil Barua died on their way to CMCH, our staff correspondent in Chittagong reports. Seven bodies were in Bandarban Sadar Hospital.

The accident happened around 6:30pm when the bus, with 50 students, teachers and guardians on board, fell into the 300-f00t-deep ditch as the driver lost control of the wheel ascending a hill.