17 killed in separate road accidents including 9 in Sajek

Nine day labourers have died and another six sustained injuries as a minitruck plunged into a roadside gorge in Daripara area of Baghaichari in Rangamati.

The incident took place on Shijakchhara-Udaipur road in Sajek union Wednesday evening, said locals and the police.

They said 15 workers from Dighinala in Khagrachari were travelling to the Udaipur border area by the minitruck for some work. But the driver of the vehicle lost control over its steering when the truck reached at the ‘90 degree hill’ in Daripara area around 6:00 pm and it fell into the gorge.

Five workers died on the spot while another four breathed their last on the way to hospital.

Though their identities could not be ascertained immediately, a primary investigation found all of them to be from Gazipur district, police said.

Of the six injured, three were in critical condition. They were taken to Khagrachari sadar hospital.

Baghaichari upazila nirbahi officer Shirin Akter said they received information of deaths of nine workers and injuries of another six in a road accident in Sajek. Bodies of five workers have been kept at Sajek police station while another four bodies were at Khagrachari sadar hospital morgue, she added.

Meanwhile, eight more people were killed in road accidents in seven districts. These accidents took place from 1:00 am to 2:00 pm Wednesday.

In Panchagarh, two people, including a woman, were killed in a collision between a truck and a tractor around 8:30 am in the Khatopara Kanthaltali area of ​​the Boda-Debiganj road in Boda pourashava.

They are tractor driver Zahid Islam, 19, and pedestrian Nurjahan Begum, 60. Four others were injured in the incident.

In Bogura, a leader of Awami League lost control over his motorcycle in Thanapara area of ​​Dhunat-Sonahata road in Dhunat upazila around 12:30 pm and was killed.

Zulfikar Ali was the president of Kalerpara Union Awami League of Dhunat upazila.

In Rajshahi, a person was killed when a bus ran over him on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in front of the rice research institute in Chauddpai area of the town around 11:00 am.

Saddam Hossain, 40, is a resident of that area.

In Comilla, a farmer Hanif, 55, was crushed under a microbus on the Dhaka-Amirabad-Kachua road in Dakshin Mohammadpur village of Daudkandi upazila around 1:00 pm.

He is a resident of that village.

Besides, Nazimuddin, 30, an auto-rickshaw driver, was killed after being hit by a truck at Tilakpur village on the Bagha-Ishwardi regional highway of Natore’s Lalpur upazila around 2:00 pm.

In Madaripur, a passenger named Golam Rahman Shikdar, 55, was killed when the bus overturned in the Bandarkhola area of ​​Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Expressway at Shibchar in Madaripur around 5:00 am.

Ten more passengers were injured in this incident.

In Netrokona, a labourer Rocky Mia, 21, was run over by a truck on Madan-Khaliajuri road of Madan Upazila around 1:00 am.