Chakaria tragedy: Sixth brother dies 15 days after accident

The family that lost five siblings after a pickup truck ran them over was hoping against hope that another member would survive the accident, but it proved to be in vain yesterday.

Raktim Shil, 32, died of the injuries from the horrific tragedy that also claimed the lives of his five brothers on February 8.

Brig Gen Shamim Ahsan, director of Chattogram Medical College Hospital, said Raktim was declared dead at 10:30am.

Sumana Sharna had been losing and regaining sense since being told of her husband's death. Whenever she came to, Sumana began weeping weakly, broken by the 15-day torment of Raktim slowly but surely losing the battle for life at CMCH.

"I could not sleep for a moment in the past 15 days. Whenever my eyes closed, I dreamed that doctors had called me to inform that my husband regained consciousness," said Sumana.

"What will happen to my son? How will I live now? Where shall we go?" she asked hopelessly.

Raktim's brother-in-law Anupam Sharma said Riddhi, the deceased's four-year-old son, had been asking for his father for the past few days. The family members had told the child that his father was sleeping and would bring him chocolates when he woke up.

"What do we tell him now?"

Raktim's mother, Manu Rani Shil, was speechless after hearing the news of the death of her sixth son within the span of a fortnight.

Raktim was admitted to CMCH unconscious and did not regain consciousness, said Prof Dr Noman Khaled Chowdhury, head of neurosurgery at CMCH.

"He had brain haemorrhage and multiple fractures in his body," he said.

Prof Dr Ranjan Kumar Nath, head of ICU, said they formed a medical board and tried to deliver the best treatment but could not save him.

Raktim, along with his six brothers and two sisters, were walking back home after taking part in funeral rituals for their father when a pickup truck hit the seven brothers and one of the sisters.

Five brothers died that day while Raktim and his brother Plabon were admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. Their sister Hira Shil was also injured, but recovered later.

Plabon was released from CMCH on February 13 and filed a case with Chakaria Police Station.

Locals rushed to the house of Raktim at Chakaria hearing the death news.

Local UP Chairman Hasanul Islam Ador also rushed there to console the bereaved family.