Police arrested the concerned truck driver and his helper on Wednesday hours after a road accident in Gabkhan Toll Plaza area that claimed the lives of 14 people.

The two were held from a house at Basonda in Sadar upazila of Jhalakathi district, said police.

The arrestees were identified as Al Amin, 30, truck driver and son of Ansar Ali Hawladar of Baroigati village, and Nazmul Sheikh, 27, son of Kalu Sheikh of the Sadar upazila.

Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said both the driver and his helper were hiding at a house, and the local people kept them confined there when they sought help.

Later, they were handed over to police on Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier on Wednesday, fourteen people were killed and 25 others injured when a speeding cement-laden truck ploughed through five vehicles before plunging into a roadside ditch near Gabkhan Bridge in Jhalakathi municipality area.

The deceased were identified as Nahida Akter Sonia, 27, Hasibur Rahman, 32, Takia, 4, Tahmid, 8, Nipa, 22, Imran Hossain, 26, Ibrahim, 35, Shafiqul Majhi, 50, Atiqur Rahman Sadi, 11, Nurjahan, 7, Tahmia, 25, Sania Begum, 30, Ruhul Amin, 23 and Shahidul Islam.

The fatal incident occurred at around 1:30pm Wednesday when the Barishal-bound truck rammed five vehicles including a microbus carrying a bridal party, three auto-rickshaws, and one pickup van standing in front of the Gabkhan toll gate. It then hurtled into a roadside ditch, leaving 14 people dead and 25 others injured, said Jhalakathi police super Mohammad Afrujul Haque Tutul.