Bandarban deaths up to 9, probe launched

At least nine picnickers died and 41were injured Thursday night when a Chittagong-bound picnickers' bus uncontrollably skidded and swerved down the roadside hill into a ravine.

The bus was carrying a group of Chittagong College economics students back from picnic.

The dead were identified as third-year students Farzana Ali, 23, Papri Mallick, 21, Shanta Chakrabarty, 22, Mahmudul Hasan, 21, Reshma Sultana Deepa's parents Siddique Hossain Chowdhury, 50, and Dilara Zaman, 40, and Kapil Barua Sunny, 23, son of Chandan Barua of Moghultully,Chittagong and Solaiman, 22.

The first seven of them died at Bandarban Hospital. Dilara Zaman passed away while she was being moved to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Sunny died at CMCH.

Fire service, army and police officials called off the rescue operations at 7:30pm, station officer of district fire service Md. Idris said. The bus could not be retrieved, he added.

Principal Muhammad Abu Zafar Chowdhury said another student, Priasi Mutsuddi, daughter of Temio Mutsuddi of Chittagong city's Hamshem Lane, has been missing until 2:00pm Friday.

The college authorities have declared three days for mourning, the principal said.

The authorities also formed a three-member committee headed by physics teacher Mojammel Haq to enquire into the reasons of the crash, he said.

However, the college authorities have confirmed the death of eight, six students and two guardians. Among the six, four are female.

Sub-inspector Jamal, duty officer at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, told bdnews24.com Friday morning, "Of the Bandarban bus injury cases, 34 were admitted to CMCH, of whom two died. Of the rest, Siddique Hossain Chowdhury and Deepa went home after receiving medical care."

Of the students under treatment at the CMCH, 28 were identified as Afsana Akter, Hasan, Nazrul, Touhid, Rashed, Jannatul Baker, Tuhin, Nurul Islam, Sujan, Amjad Hossain, Saiful, Ershad, Pinki, Shahidul, Sameer, Fazlul, Wahed, Mujahidul Islam, Somen Bhattacharya, Belal Hossain, Nazneen Sultana, Helal, Mainuddin, Jewel, Nipa, Litu, Mohsin and Tipu.

Ibrahim Khalil, a student who survived, said the bus had some 50 students on board. They were on a picnic tour in five buses.

Fire service officials and police said while returning to Chittagong after the daylong revelries, at around 6:30pm one of the buses skidded 300-feet downhill at Manur Tek, one kilometre from the Bandarban district town along Bandarban-Keranihat road.

Police and fire service personnel rushed to the spot.

Bandarban civil surgeon Syed Abdus Salam said three students died in the hospital.

Bandarban District Council chairman Thanjama Lusai, deputy commissioner Moudud AK Quayum Chowdhury, police superintendent Shamsuddin and army officers stationed there visited the injured at the hospitals.

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid condoled the deaths and instructed local administration to take necessary measures.

Shipping and inland water transport minister Afsarul Amin, industry minister Dilip Barua, state minister for home Hasan Mahmood and Chittagong mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury visited the injured.