RANGAMATI, Aug 17 (V7N) — Four people were killed and two others injured after a pickup truck lost control and crashed on the Rangamati-Khagrachhari highway in Rangamati Sadar upazila early Sunday.
The accident occurred at around 5:30am on Aug 16 in the Manikchhari area of Sapchhari Union, in front of the Manikchhari Army Camp.
The deceased were identified as Meghrani Chakma, 45, Shantana Chakma, 38, Shanti Ranjan Chakma, 65, and Shobha Chakma, 52.
The injured were pickup driver Gyan Bikash Chakma, 50, and passenger Suman Chakma, 45. They are receiving treatment at Rangamati General Hospital.
According to police and local sources, the pickup, bearing registration number Chattogram Metro-N-11-2599, was travelling from Rangamati town towards Kutukchhari Bazar with passengers on board. When it reached the area in front of the Manikchhari Army Camp, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
The pickup then veered off the road and overturned, leaving the vehicle severely damaged.
With assistance from local residents, police and army personnel rescued the victims from the crash site and took the injured to Rangamati General Hospital. Doctors declared three of the victims dead after they were brought to the hospital.
Shobha Chakma, who was critically injured, died on the way to Chattogram Medical College Hospital while being taken there for advanced treatment, raising the death toll to four.
Meghrani Chakma was from Ghilachhari area of Naniarchar upazila. Shantana Chakma was a resident of Amanatbagh in Rangamati town, while Shanti Ranjan Chakma lived in Bijoynagar. Shobha Chakma was also from Ghilachhari in Naniarchar.
The two injured victims, Gyan Bikash Chakma and Suman Chakma, remain admitted to Rangamati General Hospital and are undergoing treatment.
Upon hearing about the accident, Rangamati MP and former minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Dipen Dewan visited Rangamati General Hospital at around 9am. He met the injured and spoke with the families of the deceased, offering condolences.
Speaking to journalists, Dipen Dewan said accident-prone areas in Rangamati would be identified and steps taken to improve road safety.
He said discussions would be held with the Roads and Highways Department to determine what measures could be taken to reduce accidents. Warning signs would be installed in accident-prone areas, while road repairs and other measures would be undertaken where necessary to improve transport safety, he added.
He also urged drivers and passengers to remain more vigilant on the roads, saying greater public awareness alongside necessary infrastructure improvements could help reduce road accidents.
Sub-Inspector Tofazzal Hossain of Rangamati Kotwali Police Station confirmed the accident. He said the bodies had been kept at the emergency department of Rangamati General Hospital and necessary arrangements had been made for the treatment of the injured.
The pickup involved in the accident has been seized, and further legal proceedings are underway, police said.
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