8 killed as truck rams crowd

At least eight people were killed and as many injured as a truck helper, filling in for the trucker, lost control over the wheel and ploughed through a crowd in Alutila of Khagrachhari yesterday.

The accident occurred around 10:30am near Alutila tourist spot on Chittagong-Khagrachhari road where thousands gathered to attend a funeral of a Buddhist monk, said witnesses and police.

Police arrested the helper, Mohammad Sumon, and seized the stone-laden truck, said Tareq Mohammad Abdul Hanan, officer-in-charge of Khagrachhari Police Station.

The dead are Naimra Marma, her daughter Tuntuni Marma, Uchinu Marma, Satoai Pru Marma, Ucraching Marma, Pulu Marma, Boby Marma and Angkyaching Marma.

Uchinu and Angkyaching were candidates for the ongoing SSC examinations.

The helper during primary interrogation told police that the truck was heading for Khagrachhari from Sylhet carrying the stone with the driver, Polash, riding the vehicle all the way until Jaliapara, 20km from Khagrachhari town, said OC Tareq.

But Polash got down there to go home, and Sumon then took the wheel, he said.

When Sumon reached the spot, which was steep, he lost control of the truck and rammed into the crowd.

According to locals, several thousand people gathered outside Dhatu Chottya Bihar (monastery) to attend the funeral of a Buddhist monk, who was the founder of the monastery. He died around four months ago. Small shops were set up by the roadside on the occasion.

“We came from Mohalchori upazila to attend the programme. Soon after we got down from our jeep, we saw a truck coming towards us,” said Amau Marma, a relative of an injured.

Nayanmoy Tripura, resident medical officer of Khagrachhari General Hospital, said seven people were brought dead while another died of his injuries later.

Of the injured, condition of two people was critical and they were transferred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, he said.

Police were searching for the driver. A case was filed in this regard.

In another incident, two students were killed and another was wounded when a bus hit a pick-up van carrying the students at Paglarmukh Matiapara in Sherpur's Jhinaigati yesterday.

The dead are Abu Hamja, 11, a class-IV student of Brac School, and Shamshul Islam, 13, a class-VI student of Chakkauriya Madrasa.

Injured Sohel Mia, 14, a class-VI student of Shamsul Haque Memorial School, was admitted to Sherpur District Sadar Hospital.

Around 20 students of different schools and madrasas were on their way to Gazni tourist spot in Jhinaigati for a picnic, he said.

Sohel said they started from Sribardi upazila at 10:00am by the pick-up van. As they reached Paglarmukh Matiapara on Sherpur-Jhinaigati road, a bus coming from the opposite direction hit their vehicle.

Police said Hamja and Saiful died on the spot.

Locals rescued the injured students before sending them to the hospital.

Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Jhinaigati Police Station, said they seized the bus, but its driver fled.

He said the bodies were sent to the hospital morgue.

Meanwhile, a head-on collision between a bus and a microbus left three people dead and nine others injured at Chakaria on the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway Thursday night.

Police said the accident took place around 11:30pm. All the victims were passengers of the microbus. They were going to Cox's Bazar for a picnic.

Those killed were identified as Afia Begum, 54, Yeamin, 5, and microbus driver Mohammad Arif, 30.

The injured were Masud Rana, 28, his wife Smriti, 20, their son Bayezid, 5, Sahinur Akther, 25, Saiful Islam, 30, Boby Akther, 14, Sabia Akter, 27, Toshmin Akter, 26, and their domestic help Rumana, 30. They were receiving treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

Abul Hashem, sub-inspector of Chiringa Highway Police in Chakaria upazila, said police seized both the vehicles, and that the bodies were handed over to their families.