Dhaka, Bangladesh –
At least 19 people were killed and more than 20 others were injured Sunday when a speeding bus plunged into a roadside ditch in central Bangladesh after the driver lost control, police said.
The bus was traveling from the southwestern city of Khulna to the capital Dhaka. Highway Police Officer Abu Nayeem Mofazzal Huq said the accident happened when the bus arrived in Shibchar area of Madaripur district.
Fourteen people, including the bus driver, died at the scene, he said. Three more people died later, according to Bangladesh’s United News Agency.
The cause of the crash is not yet known.
Road accidents are common in Bangladesh due to lax traffic enforcement, rough driving and speeding. About 8,000 people die in traffic accidents every year in Bangladesh.