Shawdesh Desk:

At least 17 people were killed and 26 others injured as a bus fell into a pond by the side of Khulna-Barishal highway at a location adjacent to Dhansiri Union Parishad under Sadar upazila in Jhalokathi district Saturday morning.

Jhalokathi Civil Surgeon Jahirul Islam confirmed the casualties.

Five of the deceased could be identified as Sumaiya, 5, Samad Molla, 60, Tarik, 55, Shahin Molla, 33 and Abdullah, 7 while the identities of the others could not be known immediately.

The deceased include seven children and five women, police officials said.

‘The accident took place at about 10:00am. Driver of the bus lost control over steering and it fell into a roadside pond. The locals, hearing the cry of the victims and seeing this, rushed to the spot and informed it to the police who rushed to the spot in minutes,’ said sub-inspector Sakhawat Hossen, duty officer of Jhalokathi police station.

He said that the police called the fire service personnel who too rushed the spot within minutes and began rescue operation with the help of police and local people.

‘The rescue operation is going on,’ he said at about 12:15pm.