2 killed as truck veers off road

At least two people were killed yesterday as a truck carrying livestock skidded off the road and plunged into a pond beside Dhaka-Aricha highway in Jorpul area of Savar, on the outskirts of the capital.

The deceased were identified as Jakaria Jakir, 30, a livestock trader from Joypurhat and Hasan, 23, assistant of the trucker, said Liton Ahmed, senior station officer at Savar Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Another businessman and the trucker are still missing, the fire official said, adding that the accident also killed as much as 210 goats onboard, Liton said.

The truck was heading to Dhaka from Joypurhat. When the truck reached Jorpul area near Hemayetpur bus stand around 3:00am, the driver lost control and ended up in a roadside pond, the fire official said, quoting eyewitnesses. 

Rescuers recovered the two bodies and were scouring the pond for the missing people while this report was being filed last night.   

The bodies were sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College morgue, Liton said, adding that victims’ families were informed.