At around 8:30am, the stillness of Udaykhali village in Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila was once broken by piercing screams.
Native Zakir Hossain, who was once nearby, was once considered one of many main to hear the surprising shouts.
“Fire, fire” he heard.
“I ran in direction of the sound and came to the motorway, where I saw that a fireplace had broken out on a double-decker bus,” he stated.
One more peep, Shamim Ahmed, had also reached the build on the identical time.
He saw college students pouring out of the bus, with the air tranquil thick with smoke and screams.
“We ran in direction of the bus. We saw three college students being anxious within the bus, while two perceived to be caught collectively,” he stated.
At this point, they noticed that the bus was once leaning on a low-placing uninsulated live wire of the energy lines on the facet of the motorway.
“We realised the college students had been being electrocuted. We took a bamboo follow separate the two who had been tranquil within the bus,” Shamim stated.
Locals then called the Palli Bidyut boom of commercial and asked for the energy line to be disconnected.
If this wasn’t done, locals believed many extra would occupy died.
In step with sources, a total of 460 college students of IUT’s Mechanical Engineering department rented 5 double-decker buses and had been on their capacity to Matir Maya Eco Resort in Uttar Pilaid village beneath Telihati union of Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila.
At one point, considered one of many buses leaned too some distance on the facet, to let one more automobile scurry, and came enthusiastic with the live wire.
The wires sent electricity in some unspecified time in the future of the bus and those enthusiastic with metal had been straight electrocuted.
“We boarded the bus once the energy connection was once switched off. We saw one unmoving physique of a student and we managed to take it out. Some 60 college students had been also rescued with burns and sent to the clinical institution in auto rickshaws,” he stated.
‘Give us water’
Mahid Hasan Shishir, a student on the bus, remembers the horrifying moments.
“Our bus was once in entrance. The one within the encourage of us was once the one which came into contact with the live wire. Your complete first year college students in our bus had been within the encourage. The bus of our elder brothers was once within the encourage of. The vehicles had been transferring slowly because the rural roads had been narrow.
“All straight away, I heard a weep from the bus within the encourage of us. They had been shouting ‘fire, fire’. They normally had been announcing, ‘Attain you occupy water? Give us water hasty. Our bus is on fire. Give us water.'”
Shishir stated they stopped their bus and hasty bought down, after which they began throwing water on the bus, which at this point was once emitting quite lots of smoke.
“At that time, the locals came forward to wait on us because of our screams. They also started spraying water. That’s one after I heard that one particular person was once slow.
Identities of victims
The deceased occupy been identified as Mobatasir Rahman Mahin (22), Mozammel Hossain Naim (23) and Jubayer Rahman Shakib (23).
Of them, Mobatasir Rahman Mahin died on the build. The assorted two had been taken to Mymensingh Medical College Medical institution, where doctors declared them slow.
Of those injured, six are present process therapy on the clinical institution.
All of them are third-year college students of the electrical department of the Islamic University of Know-how (IUT).
The injured have not been identified.
‘How might maybe this happen?’
Expressing anger, native Zakir Hossain stated, “How did the college authorities elevate college students to a picnic in a BRTC double-decker bus on this form of minute connecting motorway? There’s an electrical wire correct subsequent to the motorway. This accident occurred as a result of negligence of the college authorities.”
After reaching the build and assessing the damage, Later, IUT Expert-VC Professor Rakibul Islam urged reporters, “We preserve masses of school picnics in double-decker buses yearly. Sadly, an incident has took place.”
He stated as a change of blaming someone, it was once now time to be particular overcome this and treat the injured.
After the investigation, this might occasionally also be probably to assert whether it was once an accident or no longer, he stated.
Asked why the double-deckers for such narrow roads, where those weren’t allowed, Rakibul stated they had rented from BRTC, so that they had been in a much bigger boom to acknowledge to.
Locals also claimed that the wire in ask had been trigger for mumble for a extremely very long time. They stated it would be greater to insulate the wire or raise it greater.
Probe committees fashioned
Within the intervening time, Deputy Commissioner of Gazipur Nafisa Arefin has fashioned a four-member committee to investigate the incident.
The committee is headed by Additional District Justice of the Peace of Gazipur Salma Akter. Assorted participants of the committee are Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Sreepur Barrister Sajib Ahmed.
Amongst the participants are a deputy long-established supervisor of Rural Electrification Board (REB). The identity of the opposite member might maybe no longer be identified.
Confirming the matter, Salma stated they’ll the build where the accident took place.
IUT sources stated the college’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohammad Rafiqul Islam has expressed pain and condolence on the incident.
The VC is currently heading in direction of Mymensingh from Dhaka to hear from the victims.
The college, too, has fashioned a separate 5-member probe committee.
