Six members of a family, including two children, were killed and four others injured after a pick-up van collided with a human hauler on Sylhet-Tamabil Highway in Darbasta area of Jaintapur upazila of Sylhet on Monday.
The accident occurred at 11:45am on Sylhet-Tamabil Highway.
The deceased were identified as Mongali Patra, 55, daughter of Santosh Patra of Chiknagul union of Jaintapur upazila, Sabita Patra, 35, wife of Nanda Patra, 6-month-old Bijli, daughter of Suchita Patra, Susmita Patra, 35, wife of Krishna Patra, Ritu Patra, 08, son of Sukendu Patra and Shamola Patra, 65.
According to locals, a pickup van and a human hauler, locally known as Leguna, collided on the highway in front of the Sylhet Polli Bidyut office, leaving 10 persons critically injured.Of the 10 injured, six died after they were taken to hospital.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Jaintapur Model Police Station Tajul Islam said they visited the place of occurrence.
The OC said, “When the three-wheeler reached that section of the Sylhet-Tamabil highway, it crashed head-on into a pickup truck travelling in the opposite direction.”
He said the victims were going to Mokampunji from Chiknagul to attend a family programme.
Six people with injuries were rescued from the scene and taken to the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical Hospital. The doctor there declared four, including the child, dead. Two were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries.
Locals blocked the highway in protest, but police managed to bring the situation under control and restore the regular flow of traffic, OC Yunus said.