DHAKA, 17 September 2004 — At least 25 people were killed and 50 suffered injuries when a bus carrying a bridal party collided with a timber-loaded truck on Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway late Wednesday night. The drivers of both the vehicles died in the accident.

Police and witnesses said 12 people died on the spot, 11 on way to hospital and two in the hospital. Eleven children and four women were among the dead.

The accident occurred when a bus carrying members of a bridal party from the port city of Chittagong collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite side at Maijertek.

Witnesses said the truck was overspeeding as it was being chased by a police patrol. The truck hit the bus that overturned, they said.

The bride and the bridegroom traveling separately in a private car escaped unhurt. The deceased were identified as Khadiza Begum, 60, Rokeya Begum, 57, Rabeya Khatun, 52, Mofazol Ahmed, 70, Fazal Ahmed, 52, M Rahim, 12, Rabeya Begum, 10, Tuntu Begum, 8, Noorjahan Begum, 7, Halima Begum, 14, Shahidul Islam, Marium Begum, 32, Jasimuddin, 30, M. Shafi, 10, Shahidul Alam, 11, Ayesha, 6, Kamrunnahar, 13, Raju, 24, Abul Kalam, 45, Someda Khatun, 13, Zahidul Islam, 6, Nayeem, 8, and M. Mozaher Hossain, 35.

Of them, Jasimuddin was identified as bus driver while M. Mozahar Hossain as truck driver. All the bodies are now lying in CMCH morgue. CMCH sources said condition of some of the injured is critical. The truck was seized by the police.