15 killed in truck-pickup collision in Sylhet

 
At least 15 people were killed and many others injured in a head-on collision between a truck and a pickup van at Nazir Bazar in Sylhet's South Surma upazila early Wednesday morning.

The deceased were identified as Md Sijil Mia, 55, Eklim Mia, 55, Haris Mia, 65, Sourav Mia, 27, Sajedur, 60, Badsdha Mia, 30, Sadhu Mia, 50, Rashid Mia, 50 and Meher Mia, 25 from Dirai upazila of Sunamganj; Shahin Mia, 40, Dulal Mia, 26 and Awlad Hossain, 50 from Shantiganj upazila; Amina Begum 45, from Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj; and Awlad Mia, 40, from Netrokona's Barhatta. According to the South Surma Police Station officials, all of them were construction workers.

"The accident took place when the pick-up carrying around 30 construction workers collided head-on with a sand-laden truck around 5:30am, leaving 11 pickup van passengers dead on spot and 14 others injured," Md Moniruzzaman, Deputy Director of Sylhet Fire Service and Civil Defence told the media.

"Fire service officials and police rushed to the spot, rescued the injured and sent them to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital (SOMCH) where four people succumbed to their injuries," he added.

According to the duty doctors of the emergency department of SOMCH, some of the injured are in critical condition.