UNB, Natore: Eight people, including seven members of a family, were killed in a head-on collision between a microbus and a truck on Bonpara-Hatikumrul Highway in Baraigram upazila of Natore district on Wednesday.
The accident occurred at around 10:30am when the Dhaka-bound microbus from Natore crashed into the truck in Sirampur Araimari Bridge area, leaving five dead on the spot and three others, including the microbus driver, injured, said Ismail Hossain, officer-in-charge of Bonpara Highway Police Station.
The deceased were identified as Zahidul Islam, his wife Shelly Begum, sister-in-law Ety Begum, Shima Khatun, Anwara Begum Anu, Anjuman Ara and Anna Khatun and microbus driver Shahab Uddin.
Among the injured, one died on way to a local hospital while the microbus driver Sahab and Shima succumbed to their injuries at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital as both were sent to the hospital following deterioration of their condition.
Anjuman Ara, a resident of Bholardar village in Gangni upazila of Meherpur district, was travelling with her daughter Shima Khatun to Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia district in the morning.
Later, five more people including Zahidul, brother of Anjuman, her two sisters Ety Khatun and Anny Khatun, sister-in-law Shelly and their relatives Anwara Anu and Lima set to go to visit Anjuman’s son-in-law's house in Enayetpur upazila of Sirajganj to see her ailing granddaughter Nishi Khatun, daughter of Shima by a microbus.
Afaz Uddin, a van puller, said people screamed after the loud noise. They rushed to the spot and were shocked to see the twisted microbus and blood.
Officer-in-charge of Banpara Highway Police, Ismail Hossain, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Laila Zannatul Ferdous, visited the spot.
Police could not arrest the trucker as he managed to flee the scene.
A case was filed with Banpara Highway Police Station.
