Seventeen people were killed and nine others injured in a fatal road accident at Kolabari on Dhaka-Rangpur Highway in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur on early Saturday.

One of the deceased was identified as Nurunnabi, hailing from Chaparhat of Lalmonirhat district. Most of the victims were residents of Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat district, said police.

Officer-in-charge of Pirganj Police Station Rezaul Karim said a Rangpur-bound cement-laden truck skidded off the road and fell into a ditch around 5:00am after its driver lost control over the steering, leaving 11 people dead on the spot and 15 others injured.

The injured were taken to Pirganj Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared five people dead, reports UNB.

Of the injured, seven, including Nurunnabi, were shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated. Nurunnabi died at the hospital at 11:45 am, said the OC.

The victims, mostly low income people and day labourers, were going to their village homes from Dhaka to celebrate Eid with their family members.

Most of them died as the cement sacks fell on them after the truck plunged into the ditch, added the OC.

Deputy Commissioner Wahiduzzaman ordered BRTA assistant director Abdul Quddus to investigate the incident.

The families of the deceased would get Tk 20,000 each while the injured victims Tk 5000 each, said the DC.