8 children dead in truck-van crash

Comilla
At least eight school students, including two siblings, were killed and four others injured when a truck rammed a school van at Monohorganj Uapzila in Comilla district on Saturday afternoon.

The deceased were identified as Nusrat Jahan Shova, Hridoy Hossain Muttakin, Al Amin, Rakibul Islam, Hasibul Hasan Nehaz, his sister Tina, Shahadul Islam Mithun and Tipu Sultan Swadhin.

The deceased were students from play group to fifth grade.

Of the injured, four, including the driver of the school van Joynal Abedin, were admitted to the Comilla Medical College Hospital and another to a local clinic.

Quoting witnesses, Officer in Charge of the Monohorganj Police Station Zahirul Islam told bdnews24.com that a speedy truck hit the van carrying some students of Natherpetua Model Kindergarten at Natherpetua on the Comilla-Noakhali Highway at around 2pm, leaving five students dead on the spot.

Two others succumbed to their injuries on way to the hospital while another died at the hospital.

He said the angry locals set fire to the truck and blocked the highway.

They withdrew the blockade around 7pm after local lawmaker Tazul Islam talked to them.