A truck carrying iron rods and extra passengers overturned on a major highway early Monday in central Bangladesh, leaving at least 15 people dead and 10 others injured, police said.
Details of the Crash
The crash occurred after the driver lost control around 5 a.m. at the Soratoil area in Tangail district, 83 kilometers (52 miles) northwest of the capital, Dhaka, according to local police chief Fuad Hossain.
Hossain stated that the truck was carrying hitchhiking passengers and traveling from Dhaka to the northern region as vacationers began their journeys ahead of the Islamic festival Eid al-Adha, which falls on Thursday.
The vehicle overturned, killing the victims at the scene, he said. Most of the passengers were day laborers heading to join their families for the festival.
Rescue Efforts
Witnesses told local television stations that they rushed to the scene after hearing a loud noise and began rescuing passengers who were trapped under the wreckage.
Road accidents kill thousands every year in the nation of more than 170 million people due to lax enforcement of traffic rules, poor road conditions, and unskilled driving.
