DHAKA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- At least five vehicles have been involved in a collision in Bangladesh's Jhalokati district which left 11 people dead on Wednesday, a senior police official said.
The accident involved a private car, three autorickshaws and a truck in the district about 200 km south of the capital Dhaka Wednesday afternoon, leaving seven passengers dead on the spot, Muhammed Afruzul Huqe Tutul, the district's police chief, told journalists.
All the 20 injured were taken to local hospitals and clinics, where four more died, said the officer.
He said the death toll might rise as some of the injured passengers were rescued in critical conditions.
The accident occurred reportedly as the truck driver lost control and crashed into the car and the three autorickshaws. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation.
Bangladesh has a higher fatality rate for road accidents in the world due to shoddy highways, poorly maintained vehicles, violation of traffic rules by inept drivers, and a lack of monitoring by the traffic department.
According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, at least 122 people were killed and 195 others injured in road crashes between April 8 and April 14 when Bangladesh celebrated the Eid festival and Bengali New Year. ■