Firefighter crushed under truck

A firefighter was crushed under a truck on the outside road during firefighting at Bangladesh Secretariat early Thursday.

Officials said a truck ran down Md Sohanur Zaman Noyon while crossing the road with a water pipe while combined operation was ongoing to douse the raging blaze at the building number 7 of the secretariat, wherein several government ministries are housed.

Noyon, son of Akhtaruzzaman from Atponia village in Mithapukur, Rangpur, was primarily stationed at the Biswanath Fire Station in Sylhet. He was temporarily attached to the Tejgaon Fire Station.

According to witnesses, Nayan was seriously injured after being hit by a speeding truck at around 3:15am. He was crossing the road to connect a water pipe when the truck hit him. The truck then sped off.

Nayan was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where an on-duty doctor declared him dead.

Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal, director general of the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence, announced at a press briefing at 6:45am that Nayan had died.

"He died after he was taken to the hospital with injuries," he said.

The truck sped away after the incident. But it was stopped by a mob near the Public Works Department building, not far from the scene.

The angry mob attempted to assault the driver, but army personnel intervened and brought the situation under control.

Police arrested driver Belal Hossain Sumon and his assistant Farhad from the truck.