At least five people were killed and 17 others were injured in a head-on collision between two buses on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Faridpur early yesterday.

The collision took place between a Jhenaidah-bound bus of Green Express and a reserved bus bound for Savar from Satkhira.

The incident occurred at the Karimpur Double Bridge area under Faridpur Sadar upazila around 4:00am.

The Savar-bound bus was carrying brick kiln workers from Satkhira who were returning to Savar to join work after spending the Durga puja holidays at their village homes.

The deceased were identified as Mohsin Islam, 26, of Satkhira's Abad Chandipur village; Abu Bakkar, 55, of Satkhira's Harma village, Babu Molla, 40, of Satkhira's Shyamnagar upazila; Nahid Karigar 19, of Satkhira's Kaliganj upazila; and Pikul Sheikh, 42, of Magura's Bagia village.

Mohsin Islam, Abu Bakkar, and Babu Molla were workers at a brick kiln in Savar's Amtoli area; Nahid Karigar was the supervisor of the Savar-bound bus; and Pikul Sheikh was the helper of the Green Express bus.

Subhash Chandra Barai, senior station officer at Faridpur Fire Service and Civil Defence Station, said the collision left five people dead on the spot.

The 17 others injured were admitted to Faridpur Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital.

"One of the injured was referred to Dhaka for better treatment," said Mahmuduzzaman, an on-duty doctor at the hospital.

Salahuddin Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Karimpur Highway Police Station, said the victims' bodies were handed over to their relatives from the Faridpur Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital morgue in the afternoon.

Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Kamrul Hasan said the victims' families were given Tk 25,000 each and the injured would be given Tk 10,000 each by the district administration.