7 killed, at least 5 injured in separate road accidents in Cumilla

At least seven people were killed and five others injured in separate road accidents on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Cumilla's Chandina, Nimsar, Chauddagram, Podua and Daudkandi areas today (1 April).

According to highway police and local sources, the accidents occurred at different locations during the early hours and later in the morning.

In one incident at Nimsar Bazar, two drivers, Zahirul Islam from Noakhali and Sohel Rana from Meherpur, were killed when a truck rammed into the rear of a covered van on the Dhaka-bound lane.

Officer-in-Charge of Mainamati Highway Police Station Md Abdul Momin said the crash occurred around 4:30am. The truck's helper was injured. Fire Service and Civil Defence officials assisted in recovering the bodies.

In another incident in the early morning, two CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers were killed in the Kanra area of Daudkandi after being hit by an unidentified vehicle while returning home from a fair.

The victims were identified as Barek, 42, son of the late Latu Mia of Sarkarpur village, and Mostafa, 40, son of Nur Islam.

Officer-in-Charge of Daudkandi Highway Police Station Md Iqbal Bahar Majumder said six people were travelling in the auto-rickshaw when it was hit by an unidentified transport while it was crossing the highway on the wrong side of the road. Barek and Mostafa died on the spot.

The injured – Nabi Hossain, 38, Kawser, 40, Ismail, 37, and Sagar Mia, 35 – were taken to different hospitals, with one in critical condition transferred to Dhaka.

In a separate incident later in the morning, a ninth-grade student was killed in Chandina upazila. The victim, Taim, 15, a student of Baro Gobindapur High School, was struck by a lorry while crossing the road near the Kather Pool area after finishing private tuition around 9:30am.

In Chauddagram upazila, a woman identified as Hazera Begum, 70, of Ramchandrapur village, was killed when an unidentified vehicle ran her over while crossing the highway at Chauddagram Bazar around 12:30pm, said Shab Uddin, officer-in-charge of Miarbazar Highway Police Station.

In another incident, Omar Faruk, 39, of Noakhali, was killed after an unidentified vehicle hit him while he was repairing a truck at Podua early this morning.

Police said investigations into the incidents are ongoing.

Superintendent of Cumilla Highway Region Md Shahinur Alam Khan said several factors contribute to highway accidents in Cumilla.

He said the speed limit on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway is 80km per hour, while in different areas of Cumilla it is set at 30, 40, 50, and 60km per hour, but many drivers do not comply.

He added that the movement of different types of vehicles on the same roads is another major problem.

There is also a low tendency to follow traffic rules in the district, he said.

"Our teams remain on the roads at all times and we are trying to ensure that everyone adheres to traffic laws," he added.