13 killed in road crashes

All six people on a CNG-run auto-rickshaw were killed after a truck hit the vehicle in Noakhali's Kabirhat yesterday.

With this, at least 13 people were killed in separate road accidents in Noakhali, Habiganj, Thakurgaon, and Tangail yesterday.

In Noakhali, the accident took place around 2:30pm in front of Kabirhat Islamia Alim Madrasa, when the auto-rickshaw driver lost control of the vehicle after its front axle broke and got on the opposite lane, said police and witnesses.

Md Rubel Mia, a witness, said a truck coming from the opposite direction hit the auto-rickshaw and dragged it for a distance.

The victims are Md Suman, 30, of Companiganj upazila; auto-rickshaw driver Md Shah Alam, 47, of Basurhat municipality in Companiganj; Tanim Hasan, 22, a student of Noakhali Government College from Senbug; Monira Begum, 22, of Rampur village, Companiganj; Kulsum Akhter, 45, of the same village; and Israt Jahan, 22, a third-year honours student at Noakhali Government College.

Md Shahin Mia, officer-in-charge of Kabirhat Police Station, said three died on the spot. One survivor was declared dead at Kabirhat Upazila Health Complex and two were declared dead on arrival at Noakhali 250 Bed General Hospital.

The truck driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.

In Habiganj, three were killed and 20 others injured in a head-on collision between two buses on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Shayestaganj upazila.

The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately, said police.

The accident took place in the Kadamtoli area when a Dhaka-bound Ena Paribahan bus from Sylhet collided head-on with a Royal Paribahan bus coming from Cumilla around 12:30pm, said OC Shuvo Ranjan Chakma of Shayestaganj Highway Police.

Two died on the spot, while another died at the hospital, he added.

The injured were taken to Habiganj Sadar Hospital and Madhabpur Upazila Health Complex, the OC said, adding that several were in critical condition.

Traffic on the highway remained suspended for about an hour.

In Thakurgaon, two were killed in separate accidents in Bhulli and Khochabari villages in Thakurgaon Sadar.

The deceased are Liakat Ali, 60, of Chareswary village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, and Maya Rani, 40, of Muralipur village in Dinajpur's Birganj, said police.

Bhulli OC Saiful Islam Sarker said Liakat was going towards Boda on a bicycle when a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction hit him.

He was taken to Thakurgaon General Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

In another accident, Maya Rani was on her way to attend a wedding in Shibrampur village with her husband on a motorcycle.

Around 4:30pm, when they reached Gorurhat village in Khochabari area, a cattle-laden Nasimon hit their motorcycle and ran over Maya after she fell.

Locals rescued her and took her to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital where she died around 5:00pm, said Ramjan Ali, SI of Thakurgaon Sadar police.

In Tangail, two were killed when a bus hit an auto-rickshaw at Deohata in Mirzapur.

The deceased are auto-rickshaw driver Rahij Shikder, 46, of Ranashal village, and passenger Abdul Hamid, 60, of Deohata village.

Sohel Sarwar, OC of Gorai Highway Police, said the accident happened on the Dhaka-Tangail highway around 12:30pm when the auto-rickshaw tried to get on the opposite side of the highway. The two died on the spot.

Efforts are underway to seize the bus, he said.

[Our correspondents from Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Thakurgaon and Tangail contributed to this report.]