Five people have been killed when a private car carrying them rammed a gas cylinder-laden truck on the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway.
The accident happened at about 3:45am on the Bhanga-bound lane of the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Maligram under Bhanga upazila.
The names and addresses of the dead and injured could not be known till writing this report.
Police and local sources said losing control, a Jashore-bound private car travelling from Dhaka crashed into the rear side of the truck loaded with gas cylinders that was standing in the same lane. The impact of the crash left the private car badly mangled and trapped beneath the truck, leaving six people including the driver seriously injured.
Receiving information, Highway Police and Fire Service personnel rushed to the spot and rescued the injured. The injured were rushed to the Bhanga Upazila Health Complex where an on-duty doctor declared four injured including the driver dead.
The deceased comprised of two men and two women.
The remaining two injured passengers were later shifted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. One of them succumbed to injuries at around 7:30am, raising the death toll to five.
Confirming the incident, Bhanga Fire Service Station Officer Abu Zafar said Fire Service personnel and police rushed to the scene after receiving information and carried out rescue operations.
Shibchar Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Mizanur Rahman said the identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed.
"We are trying to identify the victims through multiple channels with assistance from other police units," he said.
The damaged private car and the truck have been seized and taken to Shibchar Highway Police Station. Legal proceedings are underway.
END/CORRESPONDENT/ASA
