At least 15 people were killed after a truck carrying iron rods overturned on a highway in central Bangladesh, police said Monday, in one of the country’s deadliest road accidents in recent months.
The crash occurred before dawn on the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Highway in Kalihati, a sub-district of Tangail, about 100 kilometers northwest of the capital, Dhaka.
Authorities said the victims were travelling in the rod-laden truck when it overturned, killing them on the spot. The passengers reportedly worked as itinerant traders dealing in scrap mobile phones and human hair.
Police later handed over the bodies to relatives from the morgue at Tangail General Hospital after the victims were formally identified.
The deceased included 10 people from Naogaon district, two from Chapainawabganj, and one each from Rajshahi, Kushtia and Natore, according to local police officials.
“The identities of all 15 victims have been confirmed and the bodies have been handed over to their families,” said Abdul Hannan, a sub-inspector at Jamuna Bridge East Police Station.
Police said the truck driver and his assistant fled immediately after the crash and remain at large. A case is being prepared in connection with the incident.
Road accidents are common in Bangladesh due to poor highway safety standards, reckless driving and the widespread use of overloaded vehicles.
