19 die, over 20 injured in bus crash in central Bangladesh

People stand near the wreckage of a bus that fell into a roadside ditch in Shibchar area in Madaripur district, Bangladesh, Sunday, March 19, 2023. More than a dozen people were killed and more were injured in the accident. (AP Photo/Jibon Ahmed)

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A speeding bus fell into a roadside ditch in central Bangladesh on Sunday apparently after the driver lost control, leaving at least 19 dead and more than 20 others injured, police said.

The bus was travelling to the capital, Dhaka, from the southwestern city of Khulna. The accident took place when the bus reached Shibchar area in Madaripur district, highway police official Abu Nayeem Mofazzal Huq said.

Volunteers stand near the wreckage of a bus that fell into a roadside ditch in Shibchar area in Madaripur district, Bangladesh, Sunday, March 19, 2023. More than a dozen people were killed and more were injured in the accident. (AP Photo/Jibon Ahmed)

He said 14 people including the driver of the bus died at the scene. Another three people died later, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Road accidents are common in Bangladesh because of lax enforcement of traffic law, rough driving and overspeeding. Some 8,000 people die each year from road accidents in Bangladesh.