Police said the mishap took place when a Dhaka bound passenger bus from Rangpur skidded off the road and fell into a ditch when its driver lost control over the steering.

Three persons died on the spot while at least 20 others injured. Among the dead, one was identified as Imon, 7, son of one Parul Begum of Momenabad in Pabna while identities of two others are yet to be known.

Local people rushed to the phase of occurrences and rescued the ill-fated passengers. The injured were sent to Tangail Sadar hospital by rickshaws and rickshaw vans. The driver and helper of the bus managed to escape.

The critically injured persons, under going treatment at the Tangail Sadar Hospital are: Gafoor, 60, Abida, 18, Liton, 18, Abdus Sattar, 45, of Sirajganj, Sarwar Hossain, 35, Azizur Rahman, 50, Saiful Mollah, 20, Mofel Mondol, 20, Hamidur Rahman, 33, Rezaul Karim, 30, Akhter Mondol, 45, Bablu, 35, Ratan, 25, Parul, Sumi, 21, and Abdus Sattar, 25, all from Pabna, Yasin, 35, of Sirajganj, Sariful Islam, 25, of Kushtia, Mostaque Ahmed, 30, of Savar, Dhaka and Abdul Hakim, 25, of Tangail.

Attending doctor Belayet Hossain told BSS that conditions of six persons were stated to be critical.