Meherpur: Five Juba League men were killed and 12 others injured as a picnic bus crashed into a human-hauler at Chak Shyamnagar in Sadar upazila on Thursday evening.

The accident struck the Jubo League activists when they were returning to their village Bagoan in Mujibnagar upazila after attending a programme in the district town marking the 97th birthday of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The deceased were identified as Juba League men Tufan Khan, Nazrul Islam, Anis Hossain and Ziron, and Tuku Sheikh. All the victims hailed from Bagoan village.

Police said the Pabna-bound picnic bus of ‘Kaushik Paribahan’ from Mujibnagar hit the shallow engine-run Nosimon carrying the Juba League men in the area at about 7:00pm.

The accident left Tuku dead on the spot and 16 Juba League men injured.

The injured were taken to Meherpur General Hospital where Tufan, Nazrul, Anis and Ziron succumbed to their injuries.

Four of the injured were later shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Outraged by the accident, locals set fire to the bus. Later, firefighters doused the flame.