Head-on crash in Bangladesh leaves at least 14 dead, 20 injured

This photo taken by a mobile phone on Oct. 20, 2026 shows a crashed passenger bus in Natore district, Bangladesh. (Xinhua)

DHAKA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- A head-on collision between a passenger bus and a sand-laden truck in Bangladesh's Natore district, some 200 km northwest of the capital Dhaka, early Tuesday left at least 14 people dead and 20 others injured, a senior police official said.

Mohammad Shariful Haque, superintendent of police in Natore, told Xinhua over the phone that "at least 14 people were killed in the head-on collision."

The fatal road accident occurred at around 4:15 a.m. local time and also left some 20 people injured, he said.

All the injured were rushed to local hospitals and clinics, said the official, adding that several were in critical condition.

The official cited reckless driving as the primary cause of the road accident.

According to a report by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare association, at least 9,111 people were killed, and 14,812 others were injured in 6,729 road crashes countrywide in 2025.

This photo taken by a mobile phone shows people looking at a crashed passenger bus in Natore district, Bangladesh, Oct. 20, 2026. A head-on collision between a passenger bus and a sand-laden truck in Bangladesh's Natore district, some 200 km northwest of the capital Dhaka, early Tuesday left at least 14 people dead and 20 others injured, a senior police official said. (Xinhua)