At least 19 people die after bus veers off road and falls 30 feet into a ditch in Bangladesh 

At least 19 people have been killed after a speeding bus veered off a road and fell 30 feet into a ditch in Bangladesh.

Dozens of people have also been injured, with some in a critical condition, following the crash in Shibchar – around 80 km away from the capital Dhaka – amid warnings the death toll could rise.

The driver, who was killed, appeared to have lost control of the vehicle after the tyre of the bus burst, the official said, adding that the cause of the incident is under investigation.

Pictures from the scene show the bus having been torn apart as firefighters spray water over the scorched vehicle.

Large crowds also gathered around the crash, with the bus having tilted to one side and its glass strewn across the roadside ditch.

Road accidents are common in Bangladesh, often blamed on reckless driving, old vehicles and poor safety rules, and killing thousands each year.

In 2018, a series of massive student protests sparked by the death of two teenagers, forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinaâ’s government to approve raising the maximum prison time to five years from three for causing death by rash driving.

Source of data and images: dailymail