Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh (BBN)- More than 16 people were killed and 18 wounded when a picnic bus plunged into Matamuhuri river on Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway at Chakoria in the country’s southeastern Cox’s Bazar district early Monday, police said.
The bus fell into a dry part of the river after breaking the railing of Matamuhuri bridge around 4:30am. The reason behind the accident was not clear.
Of the deceased, five were women while the rest were male, according to Assistant Superintendent of police of Cox’s Bazar Khaleduzzaman.
The bus carrying 43 people had started from Gazipur on Saturday for a picnic and visited a shrine in Fatikchhari upazila of Chittagong, officer-in-charge of Chakoria Police Station Ranzit Kumar Barua said.
Around 2:00am early Monday, the driver of the bus set off for Cox’s Bazar and the accident occurred nearly two-and-a-half-hour after they had started for the beach city, the OC added.
16 bodies were recovered so far, the police official said, adding that the injured were rushed to Chakoria Upazila Health Complex.
BBN/SSR/AD-11Feb13-9:57 am (BST)
