Death race claims lives of 4

In a tragic accident caused by a high-speed overtaking competition between two buses, four members of the same family lost their lives when an ambulance caught fire in Savar. At least seven others were injured in the incident.

The collision occurred on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at Rajfulbaria, Savar, around 2 a.m. on Wednesday night (January 8). The passenger buses, belonging to Shyamoli Paribahan and Jhumur Paribahan, collided with the ambulance, setting it ablaze. A passing truck was also affected. Firefighters from two units responded promptly, extinguishing the flames engulfing four vehicles. The bodies of the four deceased and the injured were recovered and handed over to the police. The bodies were sent for autopsy, and the injured were taken to a hospital.

The deceased, all passengers in the ambulance, were trapped inside and burned alive. The injured were passengers from the two buses. However, other passengers and drivers of the buses and truck managed to escape unscathed.

The deceased were identified as Md. Faruk Hossain, the headteacher of Bhaban Dutta Government Primary School in Ghatail, Tangail; his son Fuad Siddique; his wife Sonia Akhter; and his sister-in-law Mahfuza Akhter Shila. Mahfuza was the wife of Shahin, a constable from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka.

Faruk Hossain, son of Lal Mia Siddique from Gopalpur, was en route to Dhaka in the ambulance with his family to seek medical treatment for his critically ill 12-year-old son Fuad. Fuad’s condition had suddenly worsened, prompting the family to start their journey late at night.

Eyewitness Mohammad Mashfik from Savar’s Fulbari said “I was nearby with my uncle when we heard a loud noise and rushed to the scene. The Shyamoli Paribahan bus overtook the Jhumur Paribahan bus. In retaliation, the Jhumur bus increased its speed and tried to overtake Shyamoli, colliding with the ambulance. The Shyamoli bus, traveling at a speed of 120 mph, then hit the Jhumur bus, which struck the ambulance again, causing it to catch fire. The passengers inside the ambulance couldn’t escape and burned to death. The fire spread to the two buses and a nearby truck.”

Savar Fire Service warehouse in-charge Meherul also pointed to speeding and reckless overtaking as contributing factors.

He stated, “Upon receiving reports of the fire on vehicles in the Dhaka-bound lane near Police Town, we rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control. However, no evidence of an explosion was found; otherwise, the vehicles would have been completely destroyed.”

Meherul added, “The three vehicles were traveling in the same direction. The ambulance’s fuel line may have leaked due to the impact, and the passengers, likely injured from the initial collision, couldn’t escape. The vehicles were jammed together, making evacuation impossible. We found one male body in the driver’s seat and three bodies—a male, a female, and a child—in the back seat.”

Savar Highway Police said that the ambulance hit the road divider before being struck by a bus from behind, sparking the fire. Another vehicle then collided with the burning vehicles, and the fire slightly affected a passing truck. The burned vehicles were removed from the road.

Gazipur Region Highway Police Superintendent Dr. A. K. M. Akhtaruzzaman Bosunia stated, “We are investigating several aspects, including speaking to passengers and drivers. CCTV footage from the highway is being collected. Overspeeding is being examined. Our preliminary findings suggest the ambulance may have hit the divider and moved onto the highway, where it was struck by the buses. Alternatively, the initial collision may have pushed the ambulance into the divider, igniting the fire.”