Pregnant mother killed in road crash on her way to hospital

Two people, including a woman who was nine months pregnant, have been killed in a road accident in Chatkhil upazila of Noakhali.

The deceased were identified as the pregnant mother Sultana Akter, 19, and auto rickshaw driver Idris Miya, 45. Sultana’s mother Saleha Akhter, 60, was also injured in the incident.

The accident occurred when a brick-laden tractor trolley, plying the road in the wrong direction, collided head-on into the auto rickshaw carrying Sultana and her mother Saleha on the Ramganj-Chowmuhani regional road around 10am on Wednesday.

According to local sources, Sultana Akhter had been staying at her parent’s house in Dashgharia for the past few days.

On Wednesday morning, Sultana along with her mother Saleha left for Chatkhil Upazila Health Complex for a routine check-up on a battery-powered auto rickshaw. 

When their rickshaw reached Pole 11 area of the Ramganj-Chowmuhani regional road, a tractor trolley carrying bricks, coming from the opposite direction, rammed into the rickshaw head-on. 

The rickshaw overturned, throwing off Sultana, her mother Saleha and its driver Idris on the road. Sultana and Idris were killed on the spot, while Saleha was injured.

Chatkhil police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Anwarul Islam said: “The injured Saleha Akhter has been rescued and sent to Noakhali General Hospital. The bodies of the victims have also been recovered.” 

The driver escaped but the tractor trolley was seized from the spot, he added.