4-vehicle pile-up in Rajshahi kills 7 (video)

At least seven people were killed and around 50 injured today in a four-vehicle pile-up in Choddopai area of Rajshahi city.

Live accident VIDEO captured in CCTV:

The deceased include Farzana Sheikh, 22, a second-year economics student of Rajshahi Government College, and drivers of two buses -- Shahidul Islam, 40, of Dhaka coach National Travels and Mintu Mia, 35, of Natore.

Other deceased were identified as Abu Bakar Siddik, 65, of Durgapur and Moyen Uddin, 70, of Puthia upazila in Rajshahi, Azaffar Ali, 65, and his wife Beli Ara, 55, of Chapainawabganj.

At least seven passengers were killed and 30 injured in a four-vehicle pile-up after a head-on collision between two buses in Rajshahi city. Photo: Star

Two of them died on the spot, four succumbed to their injuries on way to hospital and one breathed his last at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), Abu Jafar, deputy commissioner (East) of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP), told The Daily Star.

The injured were whisked off to the RMCH, reports our Rajshahi correspondent.

The accident took place around 1:30pm as a coach of National Travels from Dhaka minutes before reaching Rajshahi collided head-on with another passenger bus of Orpa Paribahan from Rajshahi, said Humayun Kabir, officer-in-charge of Motihar Police Station.

The collision occurred as the coach rammed the Bagmara-Taherpur-bound bus while trying to overtake a battery-run auto-rickshaw while two other auto-rickshaws loaded with passengers were rammed by the local route bus, said the OC quoting witnesses.

“It was horrible that the accident occurred just before me creating a huge bang while I was coming out of home for taking tuition,” said Monorika Amin, a HSC second-year student.

“After the bang, I heard cries of people and then saw a lot of blood flooding from the spot. I went back home in fear,” she added.

Traffic movement on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway was blocked as onlookers gathered on the road – which was later cleared around 3:00pm.

Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury visited the spot and announced that the victims’ families would be given Tk 10,000 as primary compensation and the government would take responsibility of the treatment of the injured people.