Police arrested the truck driver and his helper in connection with the road accident in Gabkhan Toll Plaza area that claimed the lives of 14 people on Wednesday.

The two were held from a house at Basonda in Sadar upazila of Jhalakathi district, said police.

The arrestees were identified as Al Amin, 30, truck driver and son of Ansar Ali Hawladar of Baroigati village and Nazmul Sheikh, 27, son of Kalu Sheikh of the upazila.

14 killed as truck ploughed thru several vehicles in Jhalakathi

Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said both the driver and his helper were hiding at a house and the local people kept them confined there when they sought help from them.

Later, they were handed over to police on Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier on Wednesday, fourteen people were killed and 25 others injured when a speeding cement-laden truck sloughed through five vehicles before plunging into a roadside ditch near Gabkhan Bridge in Jhalakathi municipality area.

The deceased were identified as Nahida Akter Sonia, 27, Hasibur Rahman, 32, Takia, 4, Tahmid, 8, Nipa, 22, Imran Hossain, 26, Ibrahim, 35, Shafiqul Majhi, 50, Atiqur Rahman Sadi, 11, Nurjahan, 7, Tahmia, 25, Sania Begum, 30, Ruhul Amin, 23 and Shahidul Islam.

17 deaths in Jhalakathi accident: Bus driver had a license for light vehicles, RAB says

The accident occurred around 1:30 pm when the Barishal-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 hurtled into the roadside ditch, leaving fourteen people dead and 25 others injured, said Jhalakathi police super Mohammad Afrujul Haque Tutul.