Shawdesh Desk:

A Cox’s Bazar-bound bus carrying holidaymakers hit a roadside tree in Lemua area, killing seven people and injuring at least 20 others on Thursday morning.

The accident took place near Lemua Bridge on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway around 7:00am.

Police have identified the deceased as Opu, 35, and Sujon Mia, 28, from Bikrampur; Iqbal, 38, and Shamim, 30, from Dhaka’s Mirpur; Ripon, 30, from Madaripur; Munna Khan, 30, from Narayanganj; and Shahadat Hossain, 28, from Feni.

Feni’s police chief Nurunnabi said that all the six persons died on the spot after the ‘Prime Paribahan’ bus from Dhaka hit a tree.

Another person died from injuries while being taken to hospital, said sub-inspector Kawsar of Mohipal Highway police outpost.

Some of the injured were identified as Akhter, 22, Opu, 25, Iqbal, Dulal, 27, and Sakina, 65, from Mirpur; Asma, 18, Foysal, 23, Munna, 50, Azam, 18, and Dulal, 13, from Narayanganj; Ripon, 30, from Madaripur; and Ripon, 40, from Tongi.

Kawsar said that the victims were going to Cox’s Bazar from Dhaka’s Mirpur to enjoy a picnic after the Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims.

The injured were initially taken to 250-bed Feni Modern Sadar Hospital.

‘Seventeen of them have been shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated,’ said Dr Nazmul Haq Shammi of Feni hospital.