Four people were killed and another injured when a truck crashed into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Saturday, police said.

Three of the deceased were identified as Salema Khatun, 45, wife of Joynal, Anwar Islam, 25, son of Gura Mia, and Bidhu Dhar, 52, son of Manindra Dhar of the upazila, while the identity of another could not be known immediately.

Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Ukhiya Police Station, said the accident occurred in the morning at Hijolia when the Cox’s Bazar-bound truck hit the CNG-run auto-rickshaw, leaving five people injured.

The injured were taken to the local upazila health complex where doctors declared four of them dead.

Road accidents in Bangladesh

As many as 2,329 people, including 291 women and 381 children, were killed and 4,361 others injured in 2,159 road accidents across the country in the first half of the current year, according to a report.

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The road accidents occurred on various highways, national, inter-district and regional roads between January 1 and June 30 across the country.

Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF), a platform of journalists, prepared the report based on news carried by 22 national dailies, 10 regional newspapers and eight online news portals and news agencies.

Meanwhile, as many as 739 people, including 109 children, were killed and 2,042 others injured in 632 road accidents across the country in July.

Of them, 251 people died in motorbike accidents alone, which is 33.96% of the total fatalities, Road Safety Foundation said in its latest report released on August 6.

Road Safety Foundation prepared the report based on the reports of nine national dailies, seven online news portals and electronic media.