The accident left 41 people dead after the bus crashed and caught fire near Suwagazi in Comilla on Dhaka-Chittagong highway.

The relatives of the victims could only identify 12 bodies as most of the victims were charred beyond recognition. The identified bodies were handed over to the families yesterday evening.

The identified victims are Nurul Islam, 30, his wife Ferdousi Shilpi, 21 and their two and a half-year-old son Sazzad of Gollai in Comilla, Shirin Akhter, 50, her daughter

Amena, 15, son Jashim, 12, of Palpara, Daudkandi, conductor of the bus Ilias, 26, of Feni, Ahsanullah, 22, Ripon, 23, Ali Akkas, 50, Abdul Jalil of Sharifpur in Comilla and Masuda Begum, 27, of Chandina of Comilla.

The 29 unidentified bodies were handed over to Anjuman Mufidul Islam (a charity organisation) for burial yesterday evening following autopsy in Comilla Medical College Hospital morgue.

Josna, 23, of Daudkandi was found crying beside the wreckage. Even though she survived the tragedy, her mother Shirin, brother Jashim and sister Amena did not. Josna could not identify the bodies of her family members.

Abdul Awal of Kachua also failed to identify his relatives.

A total of six investigation committees including a three-member committee of the Comilla administration have been formed to investigate the accident.

Three committees already submitted their reports yesterday saying the bus burst into flames due to a short circuit that ignited the diesel fuel following the crash.

The three-member District Administration Investigation Committee headed by Additional District Magistrate Rafikul Islam Khan is supposed to submit its report within 48 hours.