Natore Correspondent:

At least three cattle traders were killed and four others suffered serious injuries when a bus collided head-on with a cattle-laden three-wheeler (votvoti) in the Naya Bazar area of Gurudaspur on the Bonpara-Hatikumrul highway in Natore on Saturday.

The accident occurred around 10:30am, police and local sources said.

The deceased were Abdul Rahman, 70, Akkas Ali, 55, and his brother Jahangir Alam, 46, all cattle traders from Dhamanipara village in Lakshmipur of neighbouring Baraigram upazila.

According to police and local sources, a Dhaka-bound bus travelling towards Rajshahi collided head-on with the cattle-laden votvoti, leaving one of the cattle traders dead at the scene.

Rescuers took several critically injured people to Baraigram Upazila Health Complex, where two more died while undergoing treatment.

Doctors later referred the four injured people, whose condition remained critical, to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Local witnesses said cattle traders frequently use the highway with cattle-laden votvotis, which they described as illegal vehicles. They alleged that the lack of action by highway police had contributed to repeated accidents.

Bonpara Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Moniruzzaman confirmed the accident and said police had recovered the two vehicles involved.

He said police would take legal action and regularly file cases against illegal vehicles operating on the highway.