At least 17 people were killed and 26 others injured in southern Bangladesh on Saturday after the bus they were traveling in plunged into a roadside pond, as rescue efforts continue to find the bodies of possible victims still underwater.
"The accident occurred around 10 a.m. (4 a.m. GMT) near the city of Jhalakathi, when the bus driver lost control" of the vehicle and it fell into the pond, the head of the local fire service, Firoze Kutubi, told EFE.
17 people died in the incident, while 26 others have been hospitalized for treatment of their injuries, said the head of the Jhalakathi health department, Jahirul Islam.
According to Kutubi, local people rescued more than forty passengers on the bus before rescue teams arrived and pulled the vehicle out of the water. "It seems there was no one left inside the bus. We are looking in the pond to see if there is anyone there," he added.
Road accidents are frequent in Bangladesh due to poor road conditions, traffic congestion and non-compliance with traffic regulations.
Nearly 10,000 people were killed and 12,356 injured in 6,749 road accidents across the country in 2022, according to data compiled by the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association.
