One Killed, 12 Injured in Head-On Bus Collision in Natore, Days After 12 Died in Same Upazila

At least one person has been killed in a head-on collision between two passenger buses in Baraigram, Natore. Twelve more people were injured in the incident. The accident, which took place at around 5pm on Friday, has again raised questions about highway safety.

The accident occurred in the Thana Mor area of Baraigram upazila, on the Bonpara-Hatikumrul highway. Traffic on the highway is naturally heavier at that time of the afternoon, and in a head-on collision the number of casualties can rise quickly.

Zahedul Islam, station officer of Bonpara Fire Service, confirmed the accident. He said an air-conditioned bus of Desh Travels travelling from Rajshahi to Dhaka collided head-on with a bus of Tabassum Travels coming from the opposite direction. That collision caused the casualties.

Zahedul Islam also said the identities of the casualties were not immediately known. Rescue work was under way at the scene. He feared the death toll could rise further.

Md Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Baraigram Police Station, said a passenger of Tabassum Paribahan, which had left Dhaka, had died and several others were injured. Detailed information about the deceased was not yet known, and would be shared when it becomes available, he said.

The casualties are among the passengers of the two buses. Detailed information about the treatment of the 12 injured and their condition had not been officially released at the time this report was prepared.

With rescue work still ongoing, the final casualty count is not yet confirmed. The fear expressed by the Fire Service that the death toll could rise makes the gravity of the situation clearer.

This accident is the second major road accident in Baraigram in a span of just three days. On October 20, 12 people were killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in the same upazila. At least 30 people were injured in that incident.

The October 20 accident occurred at around 4:30am, in front of the Bonpara police investigation centre on the Natore-Pabna highway. Another fatal head-on collision in the same upazila within just three days is naturally a cause of concern among local people.

Head-on collisions usually occur when a vehicle moves into the opposite lane or loses control while overtaking. However, neither the Fire Service nor the police have yet given any information about the specific cause of Friday's accident.

Work is under way to identify the deceased passenger and to obtain details about the injured, officials said. Once identities are known, families will be informed and subsequent formalities completed.

At least 13 deaths in two head-on collisions in Baraigram within three days demand fresh thinking about discipline and supervision of traffic on the highway. A fuller picture will emerge once the complete investigation of Friday's accident and the final casualty list are available.