Nine lose lives in five districts

Nine people were killed and 24 others injured in road accidents in five districts yesterday, according to reports from our correspondents.

In Rangpur, three motorcyclists were killed as a bus hit the bike in Railgate area of Kaunia upazila yesterday.

Abul Kalam, 25, Abdus Sattar, 55, and Soleman Mia, 28, were going to the upazila headquarters, said police.

In Comilla, two rickshaw passengers -- Majeda Begum, 62, and Jannatul, 26 -- were killed and three others injured when a pickup van hit the rickshaw on Dhaka-Chittagong highway near Palki Cinema Hall in Chandina area yesterday.

In Gaibandha, Mehdi Hasan, 35, from Joypurhat, and another unidentified person were killed and 21 others injured as two buses collided head-on on Bogra-Rangpur highway in Boalia area of Gobindaganj upazila yesterday.

The injured were taken to Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex.

In Patuakhali, Hanif, 39, an official of rural electrification board (REB) in Baufal died as his motorbike hit a tree beside Patuakhali-Dashmina road while he was crossing Amtala Bazar area yesterday, said police.

Hanif was talking over mobile phone at that time, police quoted locals as saying.

In Chittagong, Mohammad Kamal, 48, a helper of a bus driver, was killed as the vehicle hit a roadside tree after the driver lost control over the steering in Shitalpur area of Sitakunda upazila yesterday, said police.