ITAHARI: All five deceased of a truck accident in Sunsari on Thursday morning are from the same ward, police say.

According to the District Police office, Sunsari, the five died when a truck they were riding overturned on the Hulaki Highway at Soniyahi in Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality–8, Sunsari. The truck carrying a cargo of tiles and marble from Biratnagar to Rajbiraj lost control and overturned. The workers, who were sitting on the cargo of tiles and marbles, were crushed by the heavy marble slabs.

According to SP Keshav Kumar Theme of Sunsari police, the deceased have been identified as Dhirendra Gurung (32), Brahmadev Gurung (55), Tanka Gurung (50), Nisham Gurung (28), and Chandra Bahadur Gurung (55). All of them were from Barju Rural Municipality–1 of Sunsari.

There were nine people on board the truck, including the driver.

The other injured, Sundar Gurung (34), Baijanath Gurung (56), and Man Bahadur Gurung (57), are receiving treatment at Birat Nursing Hospital in Biratnagar. The injured are also from Barju-1.

The driver, Birendra Kumar Bishwas (28) from Duhabi-3, fled the scene after the accident.

Five workers dead as truck overturns in Sunsari