A tragic road accident on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway claimed the lives of five people, including two women, after a passenger bus rammed into a parked ambulance in the Nimtola area of Sirajdikhan, Munshiganj.

According to police, three of the victims were from the same family, and the other two were close relatives. Three others were severely injured in the crash, which occurred around 1:00 pm on Thursday (May 8).

Fire service officials and eyewitnesses said the ambulance was heading toward Dhaka with a patient when one of its tires burst in Nimtola. The driver pulled over to the roadside and began repairing the tire. At that moment, a Golden Line Paribahan bus slammed into the back of the ambulance, hitting several passengers who were either inside or standing nearby.

One woman died on the spot. Four others died on the way to Dhaka while being rushed for emergency care.

The victims were from the Mithapukur area of Madaripur Sadar Upazila. Among them was Rozina Begum, 30, who was pregnant. Her due date was May 23, but she started experiencing labor pains the night before. Early Thursday, her family hired an ambulance and ten of them set out for a private hospital in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi.

After the tire burst near Nimtola, the driver began repairs while some family members remained seated inside the ambulance and others stood nearby. Just as the repairs were nearly complete, the speeding bus crashed into the vehicle from behind. One woman died instantly, and several others were critically injured.

Fire service teams responded quickly and took the injured to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where four of them — three men and one woman — were declared dead.

Earlier, a rescue team from Sreenagar Fire Service and Civil Defense rushed to the scene, recovered the victims, and sent the severely injured to DMCH for advanced treatment. Four others with lighter injuries were taken to a local health complex.

Dewan Azad, Station Officer of Srinagar Fire Service, said one body was still in police custody. Police are working to identify the deceased who died after being transported to Dhaka. The bodies will be handed over to their families once the legal procedures are complete.

Meanwhile, Abdul Qader Jilani, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Hasara Highway Police Station, said both the damaged ambulance and the bus were removed from the scene. Police have seized the bus. The driver and helper fled immediately after the crash. He confirmed that the victims were residents of Madaripur.