DHAKA:  At least 18 people were killed, three went missing and 62 others injured in fatal road and waterway accidents in seven districts Monday, turning holidaying into grim tragedies.

In two major mishaps the joys of eid-vacationing ended in heartrending tragedy for two families as four members of each family drowned following boat capsize in Comilla and neighbouring Munshiganj.

In Kushtia, at least four people were killed and 20 injured as a badly driven bus turned turtle on the roadside at Bheramara.

Two of the deceased were identified as Ujjal and Ashraf, the latter hailed from Amdaha in the district. Condition of several among the injured was stated “critical”.

Savar correspondent of banglanews said three people were killed and 30 injured as a bus plunged into a roadside ditch at Balitha in Dhamrai in the afternoon, reportedly for rash driving.  

Police and witnesses said the Gopalganj-bound bus of Suborno Express from the capital skidded off the Dhaka-Aricha highway and dived 25 feet down the brimming ditch waters at about 1pm, killing two passengers and a pedestrian instantly.

The dead passerby was identified as Abdul Quddus. However, identity of the two others, including a woman, could not be known immediately.

The injured were admitted to different hospitals in Dhamrai and Manikganj, seven in critical condition.

In Chittagong, two people were killed and 10 injured in two road accidents on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Sitakunda upazila.

SI Abul Kashem of Kumira Highway police outpost told banglanews that a Chittagang-bound bus from Noakhali ploughed into a roadside shop as the driver lost control over the steering at about 11:30 am, killing one Suruj Mia on the spot and injuring 10 bus passengers and passersby.

Among the injured, Shah Alam,35, his wife Rokeya Begum,24, and Manzur Alam,38, were admmited to Chittagong Medical College Hospital in critical condition .

In another accident, a rashly driven truck ran over a man named Jahangir,42 in Bashbari area at the same time.

In Khulna, a Sub-Inspector of police was run down by a badly driven bus near Rupsha Bridge connecting the southern Khulna city in the morning.

Sub-Inspector of Rupsha Thana Abdul Latif told banglanews that a Khulna-bound bus rammed the motorcycle SI Emdadul Haq was riding at 11:30am.
“He skidded off the link-road to the bridge and died on the spot,” the SI said.  

Comilla and Narayanganj correspondents reported that four girl children of a family drowned and two were injured as a country boat capsized in the Meghna in a tragic accident during eid-holidaying on Monday noon.

The deceased were identified as Sajeda, 12, Saida, 15, Ankhi, 9, and Ratri, 7, all sibling and cousin sisters.

Injured Mim, 8, and Pinky, 14, were admitted to Sonargaon Health Complex in Narayanganj in critical condition.

The ill-fated girls from Dhaka went to their grandfather’s house at Jhauchar in Meghna upazila of Comilla district to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr festival.

“The girls onboard a small boat went to the Meghna River for bathing at 12 noon. Suddenly, all the girls fell into the river as the boat, hit by strong waves, overturned,” police said.

Local people rescued and rushed them to Sonargaon Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared the four dead to the horror of their parents and relations.

In Munshiganj, the joys of eid-holidaying ended in a heartrending tragedy for a family as four of its members drowned in a boat capsize in a brimming canal at Purba Deulbhog village in Srinagar upazila early Monday.

The dead were identified as Khokon, 35, and his cousins Rajon, 25, Rafiqul Islam, 7, and Rodela Akhter, 5. Rafiqul and Rodela were children of Amirul Islam of Dhaka.

Family sources said after having dinner at one of their relatives’ home, the victims were going by boat to another home for night halt at about 1am when the ferry accident occurred.

In Bagerhat, three passengers went missing as a trawler carrying a group of tourists from Meherpur capsized in the River Pashur within the precincts of Sundarbans in Mongla on Monday morning.

The missing people are Basedul, 17, Samin, 18, and Mohan, 14, of Meherpur frontier district.

BDST: 2000 HRS, SEPT 13, 2010