8 die in Sylhet truck-pickup collision, all construction workers

Eight people have died in a head-on collision between a truck and a pickup van in Sylhet. The incident occurred at around 6:00 am on Sunday in the Telibazar area of South Surma.

All the deceased were construction workers. At least 12 others were injured.

Authorities have so far identified four of the deceased. They are Md Suruj Ali, 60 from Bhatipara in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj; Munni, 35 from Setti in the same upazila; Md Faridul, 35 from Nurnagar of Dirai; and Md Badrul, 30 from Lalargaon under Jalalabad thana in Sylhet.

Several of the injured told this correspondent that they had been travelling in the pickup van from Ambarkhana in Sylhet to Lalabazar in South Surma to carry out concrete casting work at a building site.

There were 20 construction workers on board, along with a concrete mixer machine. When the pickup reached the Telibazar area, it collided head-on with a truck carrying jackfruit coming from the opposite direction.

The impact threw all the passengers from the vehicle, resulting in multiple casualties.

Confirming the incident, Officer-in-Charge of South Surma police station, Md Ashraful, told, “The truck and the pickup are still at the scene. We are in the process of seizing them.”

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Sylhet metropolitan police, Md Monjurul Alam, told that authorities are collecting the names and addresses of the victims.

He added that the bodies have been kept at the morgue of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College.