Four people were killed and six others injured as a human hauler plunged into a roadside ditch after being hit by a pickup on the Dhaka-Aricha highway at Sadar upazila in Manikganj district on Wednesday morning.

The accident took place at around 8.30am in Bhatbaur area under the upazila.

The deceased were identified as Mohadev Chandra, 50, son of late Paresh Chndra, a resident of Kuripara Pathrail village, Hena Akter, 50, wife of Abdus Salam, Maleka Begum, wife of Mansur Ali, of Bagjan village, and the laguna driver Jahid Hasan, 33, son of Motaleb, of Bhatbaur village under the upazila.

According to locals, a speeding pickup van hit the human hauler from the behind when it was picking and dropping off passengers on the side of the highway. After being hit, the laguna overturned into the roadside ditch, leaving three passengers and the laguna driver dead and six others critically injured.

The six injured passengers were taken to a local hospital from where two were moved to Manikganj District Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital, as their condition were stated to be critical.

Being informed, police and fire fire service personnel rushed there and recovered the bodies from the spot, said Manikganj Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Shariful Islam.

Golra Highway Police Station officer-in-charge Sukhendu said the bodies were took under the police custody and these will be sent to a hospital morgue after finishing legal procedures.

Police are trying to identify the pickup van and legal action would be taken in this regard, the OC added.