At least 15 people were killed and 10 others injured in a road accident on the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge Highway in Tangail’s Kalihati early Monday.

The accident occurred around 4:30am in the Saratail Dakshinpara area near the eastern approach road of the Jamuna Bridge in Kalihati upazila.

According to the police, fire service officials and local sources, a rod-laden truck carrying passengers from different parts of Dhaka to northern districts was heading towards the Jamuna Bridge when the accident took place.

Many low-income people and labourers had boarded the truck to avoid paying higher fares ahead of Eid.

Preliminary reports said passengers were seated on iron rods at the back of the truck under a makeshift tarpaulin cover.

When the vehicle reached the Saratail area, the driver reportedly lost control and the truck overturned into a roadside ditch.

Fifteen people died on the spot after being trapped under the truck.

Officer-in-charge of Jamuna Bridge East police station Fuad Rohani said the truck was carrying excessive passengers while travelling towards northern Bangladesh from Dhaka.

‘The rod-laden truck lost control and overturned on the roadside at Saratail. Fifteen people died on the spot,’ he told journalists.

He added that efforts were underway to identify the victims and the bodies had been sent to the Tangail General Hospital morgue.

Relatives of the victims crowded the hospital and police station in search of family members.

Elenga Fire Service in-charge Ataur Rahman said firefighters, police and locals jointly carried out rescue operations after the accident. It took several hours to recover the victims trapped beneath the truck.

The injured were rushed to Tangail General Hospital, where several were reported to be in critical condition.

The police said most of the victims were believed to be residents of different northern districts who worked in Dhaka as labourers and were returning home for Eid holidays.

Authorities are investigating where the truck picked up passengers and whether the vehicle had valid fitness documents and the driver possessed a valid licence.

Highway police and other relevant authorities have launched an investigation into the exact cause of the accident. Excess passengers, reckless driving and loss of control are being considered as the primary causes.

The accident caused temporary traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge Highway before normal movement resumed following police and fire service intervention.

Authorities have confirmed the identities of 13 of the 15 people killed in the incident.

All the victims were residents of Rajendrabati and Chiklabola villages in Varsho Union under Manda upazila of Naogaon and worked as paddy harvesting labourers.

Manda upazila UNO Akhtar Jahan Sathi confirmed the information.