Fakhrul Islam of Osmani Nagar Fire Service and Civil Defence, who led the rescue efforts following Wednesday's road crash involving a truck and a pickup van in Sylhet that left at least 15 dead, has said primarily it is believed that the truck driver fell asleep and that led to the accident.
“I have never seen such an accident before. It looks like the truck driver was asleep when the accident took place. Drivers coming to Sylhet from different parts of the country drive trucks without sleeping. It also increases the risk of accidents. And from this accident, it seems that the sand-laden truck was moving very fast,” said the fire service official.
He said that the bodies were lying on the side of the road and in the bushes beside it.
“With the help of locals, we first rescued the injured and brought them to the hospital in an ambulance. Then we recovered the bodies one by one,” said the official.
He said that another road accident happened early in the morning in Begumpur of Osmaninagar.
“I was taking a seriously injured person from there to Osmani Hospital (Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital). At this time, news came to us that another road accident had occurred in Dakshin Surma with many feared to be dead. I went to the spot with the injured person. I left for the hospital with a few others who were injured there.”
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"Pickups and trucks are mainly used for transporting goods. But around 30 labourers were being taken from Sylhet to Osmaninagar for welding work. They were sitting in a packed condition. Also on the pickup there were many other heavy equipment including a welding mixer machine, spades and shovels. Three-four workers were also sitting on the mixer machine.”
Deputy Director of Sylhet Fire Service and Civil Defence Moniruzzaman said: "I went to the spot after receiving the news. Eleven dead bodies were recovered till 7am. At least 14 injured were rescued and sent to Osmani Hospital. Before we arrived, the locals had rescued some more injured people.”
At least 15 people were killed and many others were injured after the truck rammed into the pickup van on the Sylhet-Dhaka highway in the Nazir Bazar area of Dakshin Surma upazila, Sylhet.
