Five people, including three minors, were killed early Friday when a poultry mini-truck collided with the rear of a parked sand-laden truck on NH-12 in Raiganj, North Dinajpur, police said. The crash occurred in the VT area under Raiganj police station while traffic on the highway had reportedly been restricted to a single lane after an earlier accident.
Four occupants of the mini-truck died at the scene, while a fifth person died while being taken to hospital. The deceased were identified as Hablu Momin, 15, Siraj Momin, 14, Sayem Momin, 16, Ramjan Momin, 23, and Muktadul Haque, 29, according to the report.
All five victims were residents of Kaliachak in Malda district. Hablu, Siraj, Sayem and Ramjan were from Bhagalpur village, while Muktadul, who was driving the mini-truck, lived in Kashimnagar in Kaliachak.
The group regularly travelled to Raiganj to collect poultry from a farm for sale in Malda. They had made the journey early Friday when their vehicle struck the rear of the sand truck, which was loaded and parked on the road.
Locals told the Times of India that traffic movement on NH-12 had been limited to one lane since late Thursday night following an earlier accident. The sand-laden truck was reportedly left on the road without its driver or helper when the collision took place.
Police suspect that the mini-truck driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The report does not establish whether fatigue was the confirmed cause of the crash. The collision occurred in a constrained traffic section where the available carriageway had already been reduced, according to local accounts.
The incident highlights the immediate risks created when highway traffic is channelled through a single lane and heavy vehicles remain stationary without their drivers or helpers. The supplied report does not specify whether warning signs, barricades or other traffic-control measures had been placed around the parked truck.
The bodies were sent to Raiganj Medical College for post-mortem examination. Further findings from the investigation and post-mortem process are awaited.
