Four burnt to death as bus, motorbike catch fire after collision in Cumilla

At least four people were burnt to death after a bus and a motorbike caught fire following a collision on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Cumilla’s Daudkandi upazila today.

Two of the deceased were identified as the motorbike rider, Md Shamim, 41, and his son, Nadim, 6, of Daudkandi’s Pennai Gouripur area. Another deceased is 18-month-old Hossain of Narayanganj’s Sonargaon upazila. Police believe that the child was a passenger on the bus.

Identity of a female victim could not be known till filing this report around 8:00pm, said police.

Iqbal Bahar Majumder, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi Highway Police Station, said the accident took place around 12:40pm in Baniyapara area of Daudkandi upazila.

The OC said the collision occurred when a speeding bus hit a motorcycle and a CNG-run autorickshaw. Fuel spilled from the bike, igniting a fire that quickly spread through the bus.

On information, firefighters rushed to the spot, extinguished the fire and recovered four bodies.

The deceased include a woman, two children and a man, said Ershad Ullah, in-charge of Daudkandi Fire Service.

Several passengers of the bus were injured in the accident, and they were sent to hospital, said the fire service officer.

Contacted, Daudkandi Upazila Health Complex’s doctor Habibur Rahman said a total of 26 passengers received treatment. Twelve of them were referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

The bus driver went into hiding after the accident. Later, police seized the bus.

No case was filed, and no one was arrested till 8:30pm, added the OC.