Teknaf, Feb 06 (V7N) - At least two people were killed and eight others injured in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a tom-tom in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Friday morning, police said.

The accident took place in the Natmora Para area of Hnila Union in Teknaf. Doctors fear the death toll may rise as several of the injured remain in critical condition.

The deceased were identified as tom-tom driver Saber Mia alias Lalu, son of Lokman Hakim and a resident of the Paschim Leda area of Hnila Union, and Muntaha, daughter of Abul Hossain from Paschim Phul Deil village of the same union.

According to police and local sources, a speeding passenger bus rammed into the tom-tom coming from the opposite direction, killing the driver on the spot. The impact overturned the three-wheeler, throwing its passengers onto the road.

Locals rushed to the scene and rescued the injured, who were initially taken to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex and other nearby hospitals. Some critically injured victims were later shifted to Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital for advanced treatment.

Police recovered the bodies with the help of local residents and sent them to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examinations. The identities of some injured passengers could not be confirmed immediately.

Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saiful Islam confirmed the incident, saying police had reached the scene promptly, restored traffic movement and launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. Legal action will be taken against those responsible following the probe, he added.

The tragic incident cast a pall of grief over the area, particularly after the death of young passenger Muntaha. Local residents alleged that reckless driving and excessive speeding have made the stretch accident-prone and called for stricter traffic control and monitoring.

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