8 dead in Sylhet crash: Locals say truck driver was sleeping, assistant was driving before collision

At least eight construction workers, including two women, were killed in a collision between a truck and a pickup van in the Telibazar area of South Surma in Sylhet this morning (3 May), with fire service officials saying the truck driver may have been asleep before the crash and locals stating that his assistant took the wheel in his stead.

The accident occurred at around 6am on the Sylhet-Dhaka highway.

The deceased were two brothers, Ajiruddin and Amiruddin from Bishwambarpur; and three residents of Sunamganj's Dirai upazila: Md Nuruj Ali, 60, son of late Khorom Ali from Bhatipara, Mst Munni Begum, 35, daughter of Abdul Basir from Sheshasti, and Md Faridul, 35, son of late Nur Salam from Nurnagar.

The other victims were Sarisha Nargis from Dharmapasha; Pandab Biswas from Shibpur; Badruzzaman from Putamara in Companiganj; and Md Badrul, 30, son of Sujat Ali from the Lalargaon area in Sylhet's Jalalabad.

Md Reazul Kabir, deputy commissioner (South) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, said the workers were heading to Lalabazar for construction work when the tragedy struck.

Among the seven injured being treated at different hospitals are Md Alamgir, 32, son of Rafiq Miah from Chunarughat; Torab Ullah, 60, from Kalibari; Ramin, 40, and Afroz Miah, 40, both from the Ambar Khana area; Rabhu Akhter, 25, from Dharmapasha; Hafiza Begum, 30, from Companiganj; and Raja Miah, 45, from Dirai.

Several eyewitnesses said the truck driver appeared to have fallen asleep at the time of the accident.

Local resident Abdul Latif said, "The driver was asleep, and his assistant was driving the vehicle."

South Surma Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Ashrafuzzaman said police had detained the truck's helper, but there was no confirmation that he had been driving.

"The truck and pickup van are being seized. We have not yet found evidence that the helper was driving [the vehicle]. It is also unusual for a loaded truck to be driven by a helper," he said.

Sylhet Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Director Md Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan said the truck driver had been transporting jackfruit throughout the night.

"We have heard that the truck driver had been driving all night carrying jackfruit and may have fallen asleep towards dawn. The exact cause will be known after the investigation," he said.

He added that four people died at the scene, while four others died after being taken to the hospital.

The impact of the collision was severe. According to relatives of the victims, the pickup van was carrying a cement mixer machine along with the workers.

Nuruj Ali's brother, Suyeb Ali, said his brother had been unable to work for the last three to four days because of continuous rain.

"Today, as the weather cleared, he went out for work. He and several other construction workers were travelling to Sunamganj in the pickup van through a contractor," he said.

Describing the crash, he added, "There was also a cement mixer machine on the pickup. When the pickup collided with the truck, the workers were thrown onto the road after hitting the machine."

News of the accident drew relatives to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, where scenes of grief unfolded as family members gathered.

Brigadier Omar Rashed Monir, director of the medical college hospital, said several of the injured remained in critical condition.

"Some of the injured are in critical condition. One patient is in the ICU, while the others are being treated in the casualty department. They will be shifted to other departments as needed," he said.