At least 14 people, including children, were killed and 25 others were injured when a speeding cement-laden truck ran through several vehicles before plunging into a roadside ditch near Gabkhan Bridge in Jhalakathi municipality area on Wednesday.
The local administration has already formed a four-member probe over the incident. The committee has been asked to submit its report within five working days.
Of the deceased, four were children, three were women and the rest were men. The police with the help of the locals managed to identify five of them. They are Atiqur Rahman Sadi, 11, Tahmina, 25, Nazrul, 35, Imran Hossain, 40, Safiqul Majhi, 50, Noor Jahan, and the driver of the private car Ibrahim, 40. They hail from Rajapur, Bhandaria and Kathalia upazilas of the district.
The accident took place at around 1:30pm when the Barisal-bound truck ploughed through five vehicles, including a microbus carrying a bridal party, three auto-rickshaws, and one pickup van standing in front of the toll gate. It then fell into the roadside ditch, leaving fourteen people dead and 25 others injured. The microbus and the auto-rickshaw were crushed severely.
Jhalakathi Superintendent of Police Mohammad Afrujul Haque Tutul confirmed the matter.
Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Jhalakathi Sadar Police Station told journalists that six people died on the spot and six others succumbed to their injuries at Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital.
Two more succumbed to their injuries at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMC), where 11 wounded persons were taken after the accident.
Police, fire service and locals carried out the rescue operation, law enforcers said.
Acting Assistant Director of Barisal Fire Service and Civil Defense Belal Uddin said: "A crowd at the scene had disrupted our rescue operation. But we managed to send the injured to hospitals despite all hurdles.”
Locals said that at the time of the crash, vehicles were waiting at the toll plaza.
Abul Bashar (50), a worker at the toll plaza, said that several private cars and three battery-powered auto-rickshaws were slow in paying the toll. Suddenly, the sand-laden truck hit them recklessly and fell into the nearby ditch. It crushed under it three auto-rickshaws, a microbus, a pickup van, toll collectors and others waiting to pay the toll.
Police said that the truck's driver Al Amin, 29, and his assistant Nazmul, 22, had been detained and the vehicle was seized following the crash.
District Deputy Commissioner Farha Gul Nijhum said: “The families of the deceased will get Tk5 lakh and injured persons will receive Tk1 lakh each. However, those who have been severely injured and are crippled will get Tk3 lakh per person from the local administration.”
Locals fear that the death toll might rise further.
