The incident occurred when the bus veered out of control and plunged into a roadside pond on the Khulna-Jhalakathi regional highway. The mishap was caused by the explosion of one of the bus's tires, leading to a fatal overturn.

The harrowing incident took place around 9:30 am on Saturday in the Chhatrakanda area, as reported by the local police. The ill-fated bus, operated by Bashar Smriti Paribahan, was en route from Bhandaria to Jhalakathi when the driver lost control of the vehicle due to the sudden tire explosion. The bus flipped over and tragically landed in the adjacent waterbody.

Rescue teams promptly responded to the scene and recovered 13 lifeless bodies. Regrettably, an additional four victims succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, as confirmed by local authorities. The identities of the victims are yet to be ascertained.

In the wake of the accident, 5 of the injured were rushed to Barishal's Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for urgent medical attention. Meanwhile, the remaining injured individuals have been admitted to nearby healthcare facilities for treatment.

The catastrophe has had severe repercussions on transportation, as the Khulna-Jhalakathi highway has been temporarily closed to traffic following the tragic incident. Consequently, hundreds of vehicles are stranded on both sides of the route.

Bangladesh mourns the loss of lives in this tragic accident, and authorities are working to investigate the incident and provide support to the affected families. (ILKHA)