Speeding truck crashes into roadside market

A stone-laden truck travelling from Borguna to Burimari land port crashed into a market in Lalmonirhat early yesterday, wrecking seven shops, according to our correspondent.

The incident happened around 4:30am at Milon Bazar of Hatibandha upazila, when the vehicle skidded off Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway as the driver lost control over the steering, said police.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

Truck driver Mizanur Rahman was apparently asleep on the steering wheel, Hatibandha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Omar Farooque quoted locals as saying.

Locals rushed the trucker to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

However, no casualty was reported at the shops as the employees went to have sehri at that time, said the OC.

The damaged shops include three grocery stores, two of electronics, one cosmetics and another of cellphones, according to traders.

The shop owners expressed their helplessness at the loss caused by the accident. One Jahangir Alam said, “All the commodities worth about Tk 4 lakh were damaged as the truck entered my shop. I don’t know how will I recoup the loss during the month of Ramadan?”

Another trader, Krishna Chandra Roy, said, “My shop and all the electronics goods kept in it were damaged.”

He estimated the loss caused by the crash at Tk 5 lakh.

Similar statements came from other traders -- Ziarul Islam, Abu Taleb, Abu Sayeed, Sagir Hossain and Fazal Miah.

OC Omar Farooque said, “We are verifying valid documents of the truck and its driver.” The truck owner was informed of the accident, he said.

“The truck will not be handed over to its owner unless compensation is paid to the affected persons,” the police officer assured.

Meanwhile, a truck hit a worker from behind at NCTT gate at Chittagong Port yesterday, killing him on the spot, our staff correspondent from Chattogram adds.

The deceased, Ali Asgar, was from Bhola Sadar, said Mohammad Bodrudduza, sub-inspector of Bandar Police Station.