3 killed as bus ploughs into passengers in Chattogram

Three garment employees were killed and at least 40 others injured when a bus ploughed into staffers getting off another bus at Korean Export Processing Zone in Anwara upazila yesterday.

Incensed, garment workers torched three buses, including the two involved in the accident, inside the KEPZ, said police.

The EPZ authorities later suspended operations of all factories for the day.

The dead were identified as Md Irfan, 27, from Lohagara, Sultana Razia, 35, from Kushtia's Daulatpur, and Abdul Latif, 50, from Tangail, all employees of Youngone Group.

Mohammed Alamgir, office-in-charge of Karnaphuli Police Station, said the accident took place around 8:30pm.

Quoting witnesses, he said a bus carrying garment employees ploughed into staffers as its driver lost control over the wheel, leaving Latif dead on the spot.

The injured were rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where doctors declared the two others dead, the OC added.

The two buses hired by Youngone used to transport its employees.

Firefighters later reached the spot and doused flames on the buses.

Talking to The Daily Star at the CMCH, injured Towhidul Haque said a bus hit him from behind when he was getting off another one.

AM Hamidullah Al-Rashid Chowdhury, human resource officer at Youngone Group, said Irfan was a lab chemist, Sultana a security guard and Latif a cutting supervisor.

KEPZ Manager Mozammel Hossain said, “Families of the three dead employees were primarily given financial assistance for burials. The authorities of the company concerned will bear the treatment costs of the injured employees.”

He said the families of the deceased would be “compensated” under the company's insurance coverage.

Operations of KEPZ factories would remain suspended for today and tomorrow, he added.