5 killed as lorry rammed into bus passengers in Chattogram

Five Die After Lorry Strikes Stranded Bus Passengers in Sitakunda

Bdbusinessdaily.com – Five people, including a woman and a child, were killed after a speeding lorry hit passengers who had stepped off a bus on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Chhoto Kumira, Sitakunda, early on 27 October.

Four others were injured in the collision, which occurred after the bus carrying the group developed a mechanical fault while travelling from Chattogram toward Netrokona. The passengers had left the vehicle and were standing beside the highway when the lorry struck them before crashing into the stopped bus.

Child and woman among those identified

Two of the victims were identified as six-year-old Ibrahim, whose home was in Netrokona, and a woman named Swapna. The identities of the remaining three people killed were not immediately available.

The force of the crash killed three people at the scene. Emergency responders then took six injured people to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for treatment. Two of those patients later died from their injuries, bringing the death toll to five.

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, an officer at the Kumira Fire Service station, said the bus passengers had been heading to Netrokona from Chattogram when the vehicle encountered the mechanical problem. With the bus unable to continue, passengers got down and waited near the road.

The passengers had exited the bus after it developed a mechanical problem, and the lorry then hit the people waiting beside the highway before striking the stationary vehicle.

A dangerous moment for stranded travellers

The incident highlights the danger faced by passengers when a vehicle breaks down on a busy highway. A roadside stop can quickly become hazardous, particularly in darkness or low-visibility conditions, when passing drivers may have limited time to recognise a stopped vehicle or people standing nearby.

For travellers, a mechanical failure may appear to be an inconvenience at first, but it can create an immediate safety risk if passengers gather too close to moving traffic. Drivers of disabled buses and other large vehicles also face the challenge of alerting approaching traffic while arranging assistance or repairs.

In this case, the bus was already stationary when the lorry struck both the waiting passengers and the vehicle. The sequence left several people with severe injuries and turned a disrupted journey into a fatal highway disaster.

The Dhaka-Chattogram highway is an important transport route, carrying buses, trucks, lorries and private vehicles between major parts of the country. Traffic on such corridors can remain heavy at many hours of the day, making vehicle breakdowns especially risky when safe space is limited beside the roadway.

Emergency response and hospital treatment

Fire Service personnel responded after the collision, while injured passengers were transported to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Of the six people taken there, two could not survive their injuries.

Road crashes often require a rapid and coordinated response from emergency services, hospitals and traffic authorities. Survivors may need urgent treatment, while rescue workers must also protect the crash site from further collisions. A stopped bus, damaged lorry and people gathered near a highway can create additional danger for other road users if traffic is not carefully managed.

The deaths of Ibrahim and Swapna underscore the human cost of the crash. Ibrahim was only six years old, and the presence of families among the passengers adds to the tragedy for those travelling together and for relatives waiting at their destination.

Road safety remains a shared responsibility

While the precise circumstances leading to the lorry hitting the group were not detailed, the crash serves as a stark reminder of the need for caution around stopped vehicles. Drivers approaching a disabled bus must reduce speed, remain alert and allow adequate space. Bus operators must also take practical steps to protect passengers during an emergency stop wherever conditions permit.

Passengers caught in a roadside breakdown face difficult choices, especially when the vehicle cannot move immediately. Keeping distance from traffic lanes and avoiding unnecessary gathering near the edge of the road can reduce exposure to passing vehicles, though responsibility for road safety extends far beyond those waiting for help.

The incident in Chhoto Kumira has left five people dead, four injured and a group of travellers facing the aftermath of a journey that ended in loss. Investigators and relevant authorities will need to establish the full circumstances of the collision, while families mourn those who did not make it home.