At least 10 dead as two buses collide in Bangladesh

DHAKA -- At least 10 people died and about a dozen injured when a speedy microbus they were travelling in collided with a passenger bus in the Munshiganj district, some 27 km south of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, on Friday afternoon.

The microbus carrying a groom's party was going to Keraniganj on the outskirts of Dhaka from the Munshiganj district when the accident occurred with a passenger bus from the opposite direction at around 2:00 pm (local time) on a highway, said Munshiganj's Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Asaduzzaman.

"Seven of them died on the spot," said the official.

All the injured were rushed to several hospitals where three more died later, he added.

According to the official, most of the victims are passengers of the microbus.

He feared the death figure will rise as several of the 10-12 injured are in critical condition.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, said the officer.

Bangladesh has high rates for road accidents mainly due to shoddy highways, poorly maintained vehicles, violation of traffic rules by inept drivers and lack of monitoring of the traffic department.