National

3 Bangladeshis killed in Australia car crash

Three Bangladeshi nationals have been killed and four others injured in a horrific car crash near Kakadu National Park of Australia.

The crash occurred on the Kakadu Highway at 12.30pm on Saturday (local time), about six kilometres north of Cooinda Lodge.

Three Bangladeshis-two women and one man-were killed, while the four others in the Toyota Prado were injured.

Mahmudul Hasan, the president of the Bangladeshi Student Association of Charles Darwin University, said about 100 people gathered outside the Royal Darwin Hospital last night to pray for four others who were injured.

He believed all three who were killed were married, and survived by their spouses, and less than 30 years old.

The other four people are now in a stable condition at Royal Darwin Hospital.

Second fatal crash in 10 monthsIt came less than a year after the Bangladeshi community lost two other friends in a car crash at Litchfield National Park. 

Mr Hasan believed there were about 250 members in the Darwin community, and they all knew each other.

"You are probably aware that we had another incident just about nine months ago. There was a car crash in Litchfield and we lost one of our brother and sister as well.

"Now another hit in less than a year period."

He believed six couples had been travelling through Kakadu National Park together for the Easter holiday.

The five men who had not been in the car that crashed were driven back to Darwin by other Bangladeshi community members, who they had been planning to meet in the park that day.

Mr Hasan said word spread quickly after the crash, and about 100 members of the community were at the hospital when the four patients arrived.

"So we all went there [to the hospital] and waited for them to at least see them."

Community pulls togetherMr Hasan said his community always pulled together in times of need.

"No doubt on that. It's really proven in time of emergency and time of need," he said.

On Sunday, many of the community planned to return to the hospital and support their friends as best they could. 

'If I'm putting myself in their shoes, I can't cope with it," Mr Hasan said.

"Pray for us, pray for them, that's all I can say."

The three deaths take the Northern Territory's road toll for this year to 15.

NT Police advised the Kakadu Highway reopened about 11:00pm last night.

Source: abc.net.au and our correspondent from Australia