At least nine labourers were killed when a truck loaded with Red Crescent relief materials for the Rohingya turned turtle in a ditch in Naikkhangchhari of Bandarban yesterday.

Twelve others were also injured.

AKM Jahangir, secretary of the International Committee of the Red Crescent Bandarban unit, said all the deceased were Bangladeshi workers hired to distribute food packages to 500 Rohingya families along Bangladesh's border with Myanmar in Bandarban.

Among the deceased, Md Abdullah, 18, Jalil Ahmed, 40, Surat Alam, 35, Sayedul Amin, 26, Abdullah, 16, Mamunul Hakim, 19, died on the spot while Sultan Ahmad, 44, Abdul Mabud, 40, and Sudorshon Barua, 45 died on their way to Naikkhangchhari Upazila Health Complex, said Taslim Iqbal Chowdhury, chairman of Naikkhangchhari Sadar Union Parishad.

Of the 12 injured, one was taken to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital while the rest were receiving treatment at Naikkhangchhari Upazila Health Complex, said Salman Karim Khan, a doctor at the upazila health complex.

All the victims hail from Naikkhangchhari sadar area, said AKM Jahangir.

He said they were supposed to distribute two food packs, weighing 50kg, to each Rohingya family.

One of their trucks was able to cross a patch of battered road near Chakdhala BGB camp area but the second truck flipped over.

The two trucks were heading towards Amtoli area from where the labourers were supposed to carry the packs to a remote camp, he added. The packs had rice, chickpeas, sugar, oil, lentil, and suji.

About 7,500 Rohingya refugees had been staying in Boro Shonkhola of Naikkhangchhari upazila for 20 days, said Deputy Commissioner Dilip Banik of Bandarban.

More than 420,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's northern Rakhine state and have taken shelter in Bangladesh in less than a month.

Meanwhile, management, staff and volunteers of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, management of the ICRC and IFRC expressed deep shock and condolences over the death of the workers in Bandarban.

Hafiz Ahmed Mazumdar, chairman of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, and all members of the Managing Board of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, IFRC and ICRC representatives expressed sincere sympathy to the bereaved families.