RANGPUR: Four construction workers were killed and 24 others injured as a truck carrying them from the capital ahead of Eid tumbled into a roadside ditch in Mithapukur area Wednesday.

Two of the deceased were identified as Taslim, 24, an inhabitant of Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat district, and Ashraf, 16. The identity of another two could not be known immediately.

The injured were rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, seven of them “in critical condition”, police and witnesses said.

Witnesses and Sub-inspector of Boro Dargah police camp Abdus Sattar told banglanews that a truck carrying 60-70 homebound construction workers skidded off the Dhaka-Rangpur highway into a ditch at around 11:50am, leaving three people dead on the spot and injuring 25.

One of the injured died in Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

The workers boarded the truck to take a cheap trip home though the journey was risky.

BDST: 1340 HRS, SEPT 8, 2010