Five people were killed in a head-on collision between a gas-laden lorry and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on the Kushtia bypass road today.

Abu Obayed, officer-in-charge of Chourhash Highway Police Station, confirmed the incident.

According to him, all five occupants of the auto-rickshaw -- three women and two men -- were killed in the crash, which took place around 2:00pm.

A relative of one of the deceased at the hospital premises said all victims, including the driver, were residents of Khajanagar in Kushtia. They were returning to Khajanagar from Bagha upazila of Rajshahi.

The identities of the deceased have been confirmed as Amena, Komela, Zakaria, Ashraful, and Shirin.

More to follow...