RANGPUR, May 5, 2022 (BSS) - Eight persons were killed and three others injured in two separate road accidents at different places in Rangpur and Panchagarh districts on Wednesday.
Police sources said five persons, including a couple, were killed and three others injured when a microbus hit a three-wheeler 'Mahindra' at Sholeyasha Bazar on the Rangpur-Saidpur highway under Gangachara upazila in Rangpur last night.
"Three passengers were killed on the spot and five injured passengers were sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RpMCH) where two others succumbed," Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gangachara Model police station Md. Dulal Hossain told BSS.
The deceased were identified as driver of the three-wheeler Seyadul Islam, 37, and its passengers Ambia Begum, 60, of Dohazari Chhuthajipur village and Amjad Hossain, 50, of village Hariarkuthi Kharuabadha in Taraganj upazila and Jahangir Alam, 45, and his wife Nazma Begum, 35, of village Betgari in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur district.
Taraganj Highway Thana police handed over the bodies to their relatives with the assistance of Gangachara Model police station and Rangpur Sadar Kotwali police station last night.
"The accident happened due to negligence of the microbus driver as he was talking over his mobile phone while taking a U-turn at the point," OC of Taraganj Highway police station Mahbub Morshed said.
The microbus was seized and taken to the highway police station.
The driver of the microbus escaped. But attempts are being made to arrest him.
Meanwhile, three teenage motorcyclists were killed in a road accident in Pukuridanga Balurghat area of Sadar upazila in Panchagarh district on Wednesday afternoon.
The accident occurred when the motorcycle carrying the three teenagers collided head-on with another motobike coming from the opposite direction and hit a roadside tree, said OC of Panchagarh Sadar police station Abdul Latif Miah.
Local people rescued them in critical condition and took them to Panchagarh Modernized Sadar Hospital, where on duty Dr. Ruksana declared them dead, the OC said.
The deceased were identified as Natun Islam, 16, son of Paygam Islam, Mahabubar Rahman Shishir, 17, son of Tarek Billal and Abu Bakkar Siddique, 16, son of Abbas Ali hailing from nearby village Ziabari Khalpara of the same union.
The victims were going to visit the historical Maharaja Dighee at Bhitargarh of Amarkhana union in Panchagarh Sadar upazila riding their motorcycle.
Of the deceased, Shishir passed the last SSC examinations from Hafizabad Dwarikamari High School and Abu Bakkar Siddique was studying in class ten in the same school," the OC added.
The incident has cast a shadow of gloom among the families and in the area.