Three friends killed in bus-motorcycle crash in Barishal

Three friends riding a motorcycle were killed after being hit by a passenger bus in Uzirpur of Barishal on Monday evening.

The accident occurred around 6:30pm in the Atipara area on the Barishal-Dhaka highway.

The deceased were Tawhid and Sourav from Atipara village and Muttakin from Dhamsar village, all in Bamrail Union of Uzirpur. All three had appeared in this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination.

Eyewitness Selim Sardar said a Dhaka-bound Surabhi Paribahan bus hit the motorcycle, throwing the three riders onto the side of the highway, where they died on the spot. The bus stopped about a kilometre north of the accident site, after which its driver and helper fled.

The crash caused several kilometres of traffic congestion on both sides of the highway. Police from Uzirpur Model Police Station went to the scene and cleared the congestion, restoring normal traffic after about an hour.

Uzirpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Rakibul Islam said both vehicles were travelling at high speed and both drivers were at fault. He said the bus driver and helper fled after leaving the vehicle at the scene.

The bus passengers were sent to their destinations on another bus, while the three bodies were handed over to the highway police.