Passenger killed, 15 injured in Rangpur bus crash
A woman was killed and at least 15 others were injured late Wednesday when a passenger bus veered off the Dhaka-Rangpur highway and collided with a roadside utility pole in Mithapukur.
The accident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. near the Rahaman Pump area in Dumdama. According to local police and witnesses, the bus was traveling at a high speed from Paglapir toward Pirganj when the vehicle’s front tire suffered a sudden, violent blowout. The driver subsequently lost control, causing the bus to strike a concrete pole with such force that the front section of the vehicle was severely mangled.
The victim, identified as 35-year-old Shamsunnahar, was a resident of Prothomvanga village in the Shanerhat area of Pirganj. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the crash, local residents joined police and fire service personnel to conduct rescue operations. The injured passengers were rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for treatment. Among the survivors, passenger Zahurul Haque recounted the chaotic moments leading up to the impact, noting that the bus had been traveling normally until the tire failure sent the vehicle careening into the pillar.
Mithapukur Police Station Sub-Inspector Emdad Uddin confirmed the incident, stating that authorities oversaw the transfer of all wounded passengers to medical facilities for urgent care. An investigation into the mechanical failure and the circumstances surrounding the crash is underway.
