RANGAMATI, Mar 26 (V7N) – At least 25 people were injured, several critically, after a passenger bus overturned in the Sapchhari area of Rangamati district today, Thursday. The accident occurred during the early hours of Independence Day when the Chittagong-bound bus, which had departed from Naniarchar upazila, lost control on a sharp bend and flipped onto the roadside.

Upon receiving the news, teams from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, alongside local police, rushed to the spot. They were joined by local residents who quickly mobilized to rescue those trapped inside the mangled vehicle. The injured, including both men and women, were initially rushed to Rangamati General Hospital. However, as the condition of several passengers deteriorated, medical authorities referred the most critically injured to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for advanced treatment.

Eyewitnesses and local residents attributed the accident to the "risky condition" of the hilly road coupled with the "reckless speed" of the driver. "This stretch of the road in Sapchhari is notorious for accidents, especially when drivers try to navigate the curves too fast," said a local resident. Following the crash, traffic on the Rangamati-Chittagong highway was disrupted for nearly an hour before police moved the wreckage and normalized the situation.

This incident adds to a series of road mishaps reported across the country during the Independence Day holidays. Authorities have once again urged drivers to exercise extreme caution on hilly terrains and adhere to speed limits to prevent further loss of life and injury.

END/SMA/AJ