BRT kills again: 5 crushed inside car as girder falls off crane

Car smashed under falling flyover girder in uttata killing five.

Dhaka, Aug 15 -- Five people of a family including two children died after a girder of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project fell on a private car in the city's Uttara area on Monday afternoon, said police.

The deceased were identified as Rubel, 50, his wife Fahima, 40, her sister Jhorna, 28, and Jhorna's two children Jannat, 6, and Jakaria, 2, who got crushed inside the mangled car, said Yeasin Gazi, inspector of Uttara west police station.

Two other occupants of the car managed to escape with serious injuries and were rushed to a local hospital, said police. They were identified as Rubel's son Hridoy, 26, and Ria Moni, 21.

It comes exactly one month after a worker was killed by a falling crane in the Gazipur part of the project, and last year six workers escaped with injuries after a part of a launching girder collapsed near them, close to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Today's accident occurred around 4:15 pm when the girder of the Gazipur Expressway fell from a crane while it was being moved in front of Gazipur Paradise Tower, he added.

It suggests the use of cranes of insufficient strength  in the project.

Fire fighters recovered five bodies from the accident-hit car and handed those over to police, said the inspector.

A family member said Hridoy and Ria Moni got married on Saturday and were going to the latter's house in Gazipur along with five other relatives in the car this afternoon.

Hridoy's father Rubel was driving the car when the girder fell on the vehicle. - UNB