Natore crash kills 12: ‘Helper drove as driver slept’

At least 12 people were killed and 20 others injured when a bus collided head-on with a sand-laden truck on the Pabna-Rajshahi highway in Natore early yesterday.

Many of the survivors alleged that the bus helper was driving recklessly while the driver was asleep at the back. Police, however, could not confirm the allegation.

The Chapainawabganj-bound RP Special bus, which started from Barguna, collided with the truck near the Bonpara police outpost around 4:00am, when most passengers were asleep.

Rakib Hossain Fahim, who was travelling to Rajshahi for business, said the bus was being driven recklessly after a late-night break.

“I could sense something bad was about to happen.”

“I suspect the helper was at the wheel. I sensed a collision was imminent with the truck coming from the other side. Within moments, it happened,” he recounted from a hospital bed.

Fahim believed sitting at the back probably saved his life.

“My father was supposed to return with onion seeds in the afternoon. Instead, he is returning home in a hearse.”

Md Badsha Fakir,  son of Abdus Samad, 70, who lost his life

Md Shariful Haque, superintendent of police in Natore, said, “The bus driver may have been attempting an overtaking manoeuvre, lost control and collided head-on with the truck.”

Md Alauddin, officer-in-charge of Bonpara Highway Police Station, said police were investigating the allegation that the helper was driving.

Md Abdus Salam, from Moktarpur in Madaripur, said he had fallen asleep after the bus stopped at a restaurant.

“I suddenly woke up to find my face covered in blood. Without thinking, I jumped out of the bus and lost consciousness. The next thing I knew, I was lying in a hospital bed,” he said at Patwari General Hospital.

Alamgir Matbor, a Shariatpur resident who suffered minor injuries, said, “I was in the back. I witnessed how hard people were fighting to survive. I can still see the horror when I close my eyes.”

Locals rushed to the scene before police and firefighters joined the rescue operation.

“We were asleep when we suddenly woke up to a loud crash, shouts and crying. When we opened our doors, we saw blood on the road and people shouting inside the vehicles,” said Maseka Begum, a local.

Another eyewitness, Nurunnahar Begum, said locals initially struggled to pull victims from the mangled vehicles before police and firefighters rescued them.

The injured were taken to Baraigram Upazila Health Complex, Natore General Hospital and Patwari Hospital in Bonpara. Those critically injured were transferred to Rajshahi and Bogura.

Among the victims were Himesh Jomadar, 35, and his wife, Bobby, from Faridpur Sadar upazila. They were travelling to Chapainawabganj to visit family for Durga Puja.

Himesh died, while Bobby remained in critical condition at Natore General Hospital.

“Himesh took leave from work to visit his in-laws during puja, but the crash took him before he could reach,” said his cousin Pushpa Rani.

Pubali Bank officer Rubina Akter and her husband, Shahidul Islam, a BRAC Bank employee, were travelling from Mirzaganj in Patuakhali to Rajshahi with their two children for the holidays.

Shahidul and their daughter, Tasfia Khatun, died at the scene. Rubina and their 10-year-old son, Labib, were receiving treatment at Natore General Hospital.

Abdus Samad, 70, an onion trader from Jajira in Shariatpur, was travelling with 11 other traders from his area to buy onion seeds at Baneshwar haat. Five of them died.

“My father was supposed to return in the afternoon after buying the seeds. Instead, he is returning home in an ambulance,” said his son, Md Badsha Fakir, at Bonpara Highway Police Station.

Relatives alleged that much of the Tk 20 lakh to Tk 30 lakh the traders were carrying to buy seeds went missing after the crash.

“My father had over Tk 4 lakh in cash, which is unaccounted for,” Badsha said.

Several other victims also reported losing cash and mobile phones.

Asked about the missing belongings, SP Shariful said, “We reached the spot as quickly as possible, and the focus was on rescuing the victims. Investigation will reveal what happened before we reached there.”

The other deceased were identified as Md Sohel Rana, 40, and Md Anowar Haque, 30, of Rajshahi; Md Jewel Matbor, 40, Sohag, 30, Shah Lal, 46, and Md Shahin, 32, of Shariatpur; Md Abu Kalam, 56, of Jhenaidah; and Russell, 33, of Naogaon.

Survivors identified Sohel Rana as the bus helper they suspected was driving at the time of the crash.

The Natore district administration has formed a seven-member committee to investigate the crash.