43 bodies found in Mirsarai crash

Rescuers have pulled 43 bodies, mostly of school students, after a pick-up truck skidded into a canal in Mirsarai in Chittagong in one of the worst tragedies in Bangladesh's history.

The recue efforts have been called off but bodies are being counted and in=dentified are believed to have remained unaccounted-for, police and local administration officials say. Mirsarai Upazila executive officer (UNO) Syed Kutub told bdnews24.com that the students of Abu Torab Government Primary School, the current union council-level football champions, had played a match against Magadia Orphanage Primary School at Mirsarai Stadium in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup Tournament. The Orphanage school students went back in auto-rickshaws after the game. But the celebrating students of Abu Torab High School, Abu Torab Fazil Madrasa and Professor Kamal Uddin College hired the open pick-up truck. Mirsarai Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Iftekhar Hasan on Monday confirmed the figure to bdnews24.com, and added many more bodies could be lying underwater. He could not say how many survived, either. Residents said the truck had between 60 and 70 passengers on board. It skidded off the muddy road and toppled into the ditch after the driver lost control at the connecting road between Bara Takia and Abu Torab Bazaar around 12:45pm. Earlier reports said among the 29 bodies recovered, 11 have been kept at the Mirsarai Upazila Health Complex, 13 at Matrika Hospital, a nearby private clinic, and five at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital or CMCH. All of the dead, but for one, are aged between 13 and 17, OC Hasan said. Twelve others have been admitted to CMCH, the public hospital's police camp sub-inspector Jamal Uddin said. Chittagong district's superintendent of police (SP) Z A Morshed Fire Service personnel pulled the pickup out of the canal around 4:45pm and no more bodies were found inside the wreckage. Navy divers searched the canal for an hour but found no more bodies, SP Morshed added. OC Iftekhar said actual deaths may well be lower than official counts as many relatives had taken away the remains of their loved ones from the scene. Police and RAB launched into rescue operations with the help of residents of Madhyam Mayani Syed Ali village under 13 Mayani union immediately afterwards. Fire Service personnel joined the operations later. Sitakunda Fire Service officer Abdul Muttalib told bdnews24.com locals damaged two fire-fighting vehicles complaining that rescue operations were late to start. Two police teams have been sent out to nearby villages for identification of the dead bodies, OC Iftekhar said. Mirsarai Upazila council chairman Gias Uddin Ahmed said the namaz-e-janaza or the funeral prayers of the deceased was scheduled to be held at 7pm at the Abu Torab Government Primary School ground. Primary and mass education minister Afsarul Amin visited the scene of the accident at Mirsarai. Health minister AFM Ruhal Haque has directed the medical officers of the Mirsarai Upazilla Health Complex to ensure proper treatment of the injured. A group of doctors from Chittagong and Feni districts have already joined the team following the minister's over-the-phone directive, the ministry said in a statement. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed her deep condolence at the deaths, her spokesperson Abul Kalam Azad told bdnews24.com.