Three people were killed and two others injured after a cattle laden pickup truck rear ended a bus on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway in Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur this evening.

The deceased, Alamgir Hossain, 30, and Hanif Ali, 43, were from Shimulia village in Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj. The identity of the third deceased could not be known immediately.

All the victims were cattle traders and passengers of pickup, police said.

Quoting witnesses, Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kaliakair Police Station, said around 6:30pm the cattle laden Kishoreganj-bound pickup lost control and hit a Dhaka-bound bus from behind on the highway at Goalbathan near Jora Bridge. The front of the pickup was crushed in the collision. At that time, another truck hit the pickup from behind.

The accident left four traders and the truck driver critically injured, he said.

They were rescued and taken to Kaliakair Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared three dead, said the OC, adding that the two injured were later shifted to a nearby hospital.

A cow also died in the accident, while several cattle were injured, the police official added.