At least 13 people have been killed and 25 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in Natore.
The accident occurred at around 5:00 am on Tuesday on the Natore-Pabna highway, in front of the Bonpara Police Investigation Centre in Baraigram upazila.
Alamgir Hossain, a sub-inspector (SI) at Bonpara Highway police station, confirmed the deaths.
He said 13 people had died so far, including the truck driver, also named Alamgir Hossain. The identities of the other victims have not yet been established.
Fire service personnel arrived at the scene after receiving the news and recovered the bodies and rescued the injured.
According to sources at Natore Fire Service and Baraigram police station, the bus operated by RP Paribahan was travelling from Barishal, while the truck was coming from the opposite direction. The two vehicles collided head-on in front of the Bonpara Police Investigation Centre at around 5:00 am. Nine people died at the scene, and at least 25 others were injured.
The injured were rescued and taken to various hospitals in the local area, Natore and Rajshahi. One child died at Natore Sadar Hospital, while three more people died at other hospitals.
Meanwhile, traffic on the highway came to a standstill following the accident, causing a long tailback around the Bonpara Police Investigation Centre.