A 12-year-old girl was killed and three others injured when a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw overturned and plunged into a roadside ditch in Panchhari upazila of Khagrachhari on Friday morning.
The deceased, identified as Tania Akter, was returning from her maternal grandparents’ home with her mother and elder sister when the accident occurred at around 11 am on Principal Para Road in Latiban Union.
Tania was the younger daughter of Anwar Hossain and Daisy Akter, residents of the Puraton Barnal area of Tabalchhari in Matiranga upazila of Khagrachhari district.
According to local sources, Tania had boarded the auto-rickshaw with her mother, Daisy Akter, 35, and elder sister, Ankhi Akter, 17, in the Pilot Farm area of Panchhari. The family was travelling towards Khagrachhari town after visiting their relatives.
A member of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), identified as Abdur Razzaq, was also travelling in the vehicle.
As the auto-rickshaw reached the Principal Para area, it suddenly went out of control and veered off the road before overturning into a nearby ditch.
Tania became trapped beneath the overturned vehicle, sustaining injuries that proved fatal. Her mother, elder sister and the BGB member were also injured in the accident.
Local residents and police rushed to the scene following the incident and rescued the passengers from the damaged auto-rickshaw. The injured were subsequently taken to Panchhari Upazila Health Complex for emergency medical attention.
However, doctors at the health complex declared Tania dead.
The conditions of the three other injured passengers were not immediately known. No further information was available regarding the severity of their injuries or whether they required additional treatment at another medical facility.
The accident occurred during what had been a routine family journey. Tania, accompanied by her mother and sister, was travelling back from her maternal grandparents’ home when the vehicle overturned before reaching its destination.
Police confirmed that the child’s body had been sent to Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Panchhari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ferdous Wahid said no formal complaint had been lodged in connection with the incident.
He confirmed that the body had been transferred to Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital for examination and said appropriate legal action would be taken if a complaint was received.
The exact cause of the accident has yet to be established. Although local sources reported that the driver lost control of the auto-rickshaw, it remains unclear what circumstances led to the vehicle leaving the road.
No official information has been released regarding the vehicle’s speed, mechanical condition or whether the state of the road contributed to the crash.
Road safety remains an important concern in Bangladesh’s hill districts, where motorists frequently travel along winding routes, steep gradients and roads bordered by ditches. Such conditions can pose additional challenges for drivers, particularly when visibility or vehicle control is compromised.
However, there has been no confirmation that any particular road condition or mechanical problem played a role in Friday’s accident.
The incident claimed the life of a young girl who had been travelling home with her family after visiting relatives. While her mother and elder sister survived with injuries, Tania was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to hospital.
Police have indicated that further legal proceedings will depend on whether a formal complaint is submitted. No additional developments in the case were immediately reported.
