Seven people, including a schoolboy, were killed and four others injured in separate road accidents on Dhaka-Chattogram highway in different parts of Cumilla district on Wednesday.

In Daudkandi upazila, two people were killed and four others injured when an unidentified vehicle hit a CNG-run auto-rickshaw carrying six passengers on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Kanra area early Wednesday, said Md Iqbal Bahar Majumdar, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi Highway Police Station.

The deceased were identified as Barek, 42, son of Lutu Mia, and Mostafa, 40, son of Nur Islam, both from Sarkarpur village.

The injured were taken to different hospitals.

In Chandina upazila, a schoolboy was killed when a lorry knocked him down on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway around 9:30 am, said Abdul Momin, officer-in-charge of Mainamati Highway Police.

The deceased was identified as Ibne Taim, 14, a Class IX student of a local school and son of Babul Mia of Rarirchar village in the upazila.

In Burichong upaizla, two people were killed and another one was injured when a truck crashed into a covered van from behind on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Nimsar Bazar on Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as Zahirul Islam Moin, 40, of Noakhali district and Sohel Rana, 35, of Meherpur district.

In Chouddagram upazila, a woman identified as Hazera Begum, 70 of Ramchandrapur village, was killed when an unknown vehicle ran over her while crossing highway at Chouddagram Bazar around 12:30 pm, said Shab Uddin, officer-in-charge of Miarbazar Highway Police Station.

In another incident, Omar Faruk, 39 of Noakhali district was killed as an unknown vehicles hit him while repairing a truck at Padua early in this Wednesday morning.

Superintendent of Cumilla Highway Region, Md Shahinur Alam Khan said that there are several reasons behind highway accidents in Cumilla.

The speed limit on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway is 80 km per hour, while in different areas of Cumilla it is set at 30, 40, 50, and 60 km per hour. However, many drivers do not comply with these limits.

He also said that the movement of vehicles of different categories on the same roads creates another major problem.

Besides, there is a low tendency to follow traffic rules in Cumilla, he added.

“Our teams remain on the roads at all times and we are trying to ensure that everyone adheres to traffic laws,” he said.