Truck Crushes Battery-Run Auto-Rickshaw, Killing Three

Three passengers of a battery-powered auto-rickshaw were killed after a truck ran over the vehicle in the Shambhuganj area of Mymensingh Sadar upazila on Tuesday.

The accident occurred at around noon on 21 July on the Mymensingh–Kishoreganj highway, according to police. The crash left the small passenger vehicle severely damaged and caused three fatalities, while several others were reportedly injured.

Among those killed were two women and one man. Police had not been able to establish their identities at the time of filing the report. Authorities were working to determine the victims’ identities and inform their families.

Officer-in-Charge Md Shibirul Islam of Mymensingh Kotwali Model Police Station said the accident took place in the Sahek Kachari area of Sadar upazila when a truck struck a passenger-carrying battery-powered auto-rickshaw.

Two people died at the scene from the impact, while several injured passengers were taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for treatment. One of the injured later succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, bringing the death toll to three.

The incident has once again highlighted the risks faced by passengers travelling on busy highways in smaller, battery-powered vehicles. Such auto-rickshaws are widely used for short-distance travel in many parts of Bangladesh, particularly in areas where they provide an accessible and relatively inexpensive means of transport. However, their smaller size and limited protection leave passengers highly vulnerable when involved in collisions with heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses.

The Mymensingh–Kishoreganj highway is an important regional road connecting communities across the area, and traffic movement along the route can be busy, particularly during daytime hours. Collisions involving large commercial vehicles and smaller passenger vehicles can have devastating consequences because of the considerable difference in size and weight.

Police said efforts were under way to identify the deceased and establish the circumstances surrounding the crash. Details of the injured passengers and the condition of the truck driver were not immediately available.

The authorities are expected to investigate the accident further to determine how the collision occurred and whether any negligence or traffic violations contributed to the deaths.