At least 19 dead in Bangladesh bus crash

DHAKA: A speeding bus swerved off a major expressway in central Bangladesh and crashed into a ditch, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens, police said.

The death toll could rise further as some of the injured passengers are in critical condition, said Anowar Hossain, a police officer from Shibchar, where the accident occurred. The city is 80 km away from the capital Dhaka.

The bus, carrying more than 40 passengers, fell about 9 meters (30 feet) into a ditch after breaching the railing of the newly built Padma River Bridge expressway, Hossain said.

The driver who was killed appeared to have lost control of the vehicle after the bus’ tire blew out, he said, adding that the cause of the accident is under investigation.

Road accidents are commonplace in Bangladesh and are often blamed on reckless driving, old vehicles and poor safety regulations, killing thousands every year.

In 2018, a series of massive student protests sparked by the deaths of two teenagers forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to authorize an increase in the maximum sentence from three years to five years for causing death by rushed driving.