4 killed as microbus gas cylinder explodes after crash

Four persons, including a five-year-old child, were killed in an accident on Sylhet-Zakiganj road in Sylhet's Golapganj upazila early yesterday.

The incident happened as the gas cylinder of a CNG-run microbus exploded after the vehicle hit a goods-laden truck.

The dead are Rajon Ahmed, 22, and microbus driver Sunam Ahmed, 26, of Sylhet's Beanibazar upazila; Marjan Ahmed, of the district's Kanaighat upazila; and Mehedy Hasan, 5, of Sylhet's Golapganj upazila.

Mehedy was a road-side slum dweller whereas rest of the three were passengers of the microbus.

Harun-ur-Rashid Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Golapganj Police Station, said, "The microbus hit the moving truck from behind in Hetimganj area around 5:30am. The microbus soon caught fire after its cylinder exploded, leaving three passengers dead on the spot."

On information, fire fighters rushed to the spot, doused the fire, rescued four injured passengers of the microbus and sent them to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.

Quoting the child's relatives, the OC said, hearing the sound of road accident, he came out of the slum after which the microbus's gas cylinder exploded and a piece of the gas cylinder hit Mehedy, leaving him critically injured."

He succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital, the police officer said.