Nine workers killed as truck falls into ditch

At least nine construction workers were killed and several others injured after a truck fell into a roadside ditch in Udaipur border area in Rangamati's Sajek upazila yesterday evening.

The accident took place around 6:00pm.

Four of the dead were so far identified -- Abdul Mohon, 16, and Babu, 20, from Kishoreganj; and Sagor, 22, and Ali Ullah, 36, from Gazipur.

Debashish Roy, officer-in-charge of Sajek Police Station, said, "We have heard from locals that there was an accident in which people were killed. A police team has gone to the spot to investigate."

Atulal Chakma, chairman of Sajek Union Parishad, said there were 17 workers on the truck. Some of them died on the spot, he said, adding that the others suffered injuries.

Shirin Akhter, upazila nirbahi officer in Sajek, said she also learned about the accident and the consequent death of nine workers.

The victims were involved in construction work for a road along the border, said Mir Abu Tawheed, superintendent of police in Rangamati.

They were taken to Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital.

The residential medical officer there, Ripple Bappi Chakma, told The Daily Star that three dead bodies were brought to the hospital at 9:20pm, and one worker died while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

According to the Road Safety Foundation, 367 people were killed in 358 road crashes between April 4 and 18.

In the corresponding period last year, 285 people were killed in 240 road crashes.

It means road crashes and deaths saw 39.20 percent and 20.19 percent rise respectively compared to last year, it said.