Driver Negligence and Speeding Suspected in Fatal Sylhet Bus Collision
Photo Collected
A head-on collision between two passenger buses in Sylhet’s Osmaninagar upazila left nine people dead and at least 30 others injured on Friday morning. Law enforcement officials have primarily blamed driver negligence and high speeds for the tragedy, which occurred on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at approximately 7:10 a.m.
According to police, the accident involved a Dhaka-bound Unique Paribahan bus and a Sylhet-bound Bengal Paribahan bus. Preliminary investigations suggest the two vehicles were traveling at excessive speeds along the relatively empty morning highway. Investigators suspect both drivers were suffering from fatigue, with highway authorities stating that the operators were likely driving while sleep-deprived.
Footage captured by a camera mounted in a vehicle traveling behind the Unique Paribahan bus shows the Bengal Paribahan bus veering into the oncoming lane while attempting to overtake a pickup truck. The resulting collision forced the Unique Paribahan bus off the road and into a roadside ditch, causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
Fire service personnel arrived at the scene shortly after the crash to conduct rescue operations. Official reports indicate that the majority of the casualties were passengers from the Unique Paribahan bus, which landed in the ditch. Rescuers recovered seven bodies from the wreckage immediately, while two others succumbed to their injuries after being transported to medical facilities.
Authorities have identified five of the nine victims, including three-year-old Jaifa, local musician Peheli Bhairabi, and three adult men from various districts. The remaining four victims are yet to be identified, and their remains have been moved to the morgue at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, while the other seven were processed at the Sherpur Highway Police Station.
The drivers of both buses fled the scene immediately following the impact. Officers from the Sherpur Highway Police Station are currently working to locate the suspects. An investigation is ongoing to determine if competitive driving or further safety violations contributed to the disaster.
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