KUSHTIA, Bangladesh — A deadly collision between a gas-laden truck and a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw on the Kushtia bypass road claimed at least five lives on Saturday afternoon, local police and eyewitnesses said.
The accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. near the Kushtia Store filling station on the busy bypass stretch when the CNG auto-rickshaw was heading toward town with four passengers aboard. A gas-cylinder-loaded truck coming from the opposite direction collided head-on with the three-wheeler.
Officer-in-Charge Abu Obayed of the Kushtia Highway Police confirmed that the driver and two passengers of the auto-rickshaw were killed instantly at the scene. Two other occupants, critically injured in the crash, later died while undergoing treatment at Kushtia General Hospital.
Among the dead were three women and two men, police said. Detailed identities of the victims have not been released pending family notification.
Emergency responders and locals rushed the injured to hospital after the collision left the auto-rickshaw mangled. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the cause of the crash, including whether vehicle speed or loss of control by the truck played a role.
Traffic collisions involving auto-rickshaws and heavy vehicles have been a recurring safety challenge on rural and semi-urban highways in Bangladesh, prompting calls from road safety advocates for stricter enforcement and infrastructure improvements.
